Shining Child
by ImmemorialMemory
Summary: Reborn as Kanazuki Reiko, Harry thinks that this new life might be his second chance. Or the fates might be taking another crap at him. Again. Damn it. (Massive AU, Pre-canon, triple crossover with KHR and other anime themes.)
1. New Life

" _Give that bitch a cannon. Bitches love cannons._ " **-Alucard, Hellsing Abridged Series**

" _Dog goes woof, cat goes meow. Bird goes tweet... Canon goes boom-boom._ " **\- Pretty much every AU fanfic out there**

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 **Disclaimer:** HP, OHSHC, KHR... Nu, still no own any of that. Do I look as rich as J.K. Rowling to you? No, now shoo.

 **Author's Note:** Hello, dear FFnet people! Welcome to yet another HP/Ouran fanfiction by moi. This is a little different from everything I've done before mostly because it involves a character that's pretty much a sideline. Yes, I'm talking about Kanazuki Reiko from OHSHC, or as I like to call her, the lucky-bitch-who-only-appeared-in-one-chapter-and-cameo'd-in-a-few-others-but-somehow-ended-up-as-Honey-senpai's-wife. And I have Harry reincarnated into her, hence making canon universe go boom-boom. And if y'all don't like the idea, well. _*In old crochety voice*_ "Git off my lawn, ye young whippersnappers!"

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 **Warnings:** Harry Potter/Ouran elements with a dash of the KHR world. OC's at start. Gender/existential confusion from a baby in this chapter.

* * *

 **Prologue**

"Umehito-kun," a soft, clear voice interrupted. "You're not bothering the Host Club, are you?"

Everyone looked up.

She was petite and lovely, straight blue-black hair pinned with orange blossom clips and an angelic smile playing on her lips. Moving with effortless grace, her expression was mildly amused as she took in the rabble within the Host club. Her uniform indicated that she was just in middle-school but the air around her spoke of a high-born lady and the rest of the boys couldn't help but stand in attention at her presence.

The president of the Black Magic club swiveled, waving Belzeneef in agitated apology. "Ah, Reiko-chan. Suoh-kun summoned me here. It seems my presence makes him nervous still."

"Talking like that would make anyone nervous," Reiko said, stopping beside the part-Russian boy and covering his pale face more firmly with the black cloth. After making sure the cooling charm on it was still intact, she turned to Tamaki and the others, bowing. "I apologize for my president's actions. He's just… enthusiastic."

Kyoya smiled, waving away her apologies with a nod. Mitsukuni bounded forward cheerily, honey brown eyes intent.

"No harm done, Reiko-chan! Maybe you'd stop by at the Host Club once in a while? With Neko-kun, of course."

Kanazuki Reiko, formerly known as Lord Hadrian Potter, smiled back at the third-year, emerald green eyes flashing with humor. She tested the thin red string tying her finger to his. "Of course, Haninozuka-san."

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

 _"What… what are you doing?!"_

 _"My job."_

 _"Hey, stop! That soul's memories haven't been removed yet!"_

 _"I know. Orders from the higher ups."_

 _"…oh. But isn't he..."_

 _"Mn…"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"No clue. Not our division."_

That conversation was the last thing Harry Potter heard before he was sent to this new world.

The idea that a bunch of normal-sounding entities just shoved his soul in a new body with memory intact gave him an existential crisis, but other than that he was focusing more on the fact that he was freakin' _reincarnated_.

What was he supposed to do with that?

No, really.

 _What?_

What the hell _can_ he do?

Was this some new bullshit prophecy? Did Voldemort somehow rise from the dead, like the evil cockroach he was, and cooked up this scheme to make him miserable? Or was this some stupid hang-up from the Deathly Hallows since those three miserable trinkets **_just. Wouldn't. Leave. Him. Alone?!_**

If the answer was any of the above mentioned then Harry had to give the instigators props for originality because he was about to tear his head off.

This _'being little'_ business was torture! Worse than the Dursleys!

The world was a blurry mess, he couldn't keep her eyes open for too long, and he was irritated about the littlest things!

Like being moved around.

Or hearing loud voices.

Or being wet, _down there_.

Or just everything in general, everything pissed him off!

Crying his displeasure was his only stress-reliever and he didn't care if whoever was looking after him got stressed too. They could suffer with him. And if they got fed up and strangled Harry to death well, hey ho, great solution all around.

Because yes, it was that awful.

Heck, was he still even a _he_?

It felt like he was enclosed in a tight, dark space, unable to move on his own, unable to see or understand or even just think properly. His mind was a jumbled circus and Harry wondered what kind of karmic retribution was this.

Then suddenly, everything just clicked.

One day, he could blink. Harry took a deliberate lungful of air and realized that yes, he was awake. That he was actually aware that he was awake. He could wiggle his toes and clench his jerky fists and feel the soft thump thump sound of his heart in the silence. There was movement above him and he burbled at its direction, inordinately pleased when warm hands plucked him gently from his crib and rocked him back and forth.

"What's got you so happy today, my love?" a deep, masculine voice asked softly.

Harry made a tiny chortling sound.

What made him so happy was that he could now see. No more fuzzy shapes or blurred images, no sir! His new eyes were somewhat clear and everything was new and bright. He hoped he had 20/20 vision this time around.

"It's nice to see you smiling, my little girl. Pouting all the time wasn't good for you."

Little girl. Well that answered his gender crisis. Great, he lost his nuts. He was going to grow _breasts-_ Well... That part didn't sound so bad. Eh, he'd deal with it later. Or rather, _she_ would deal with it later. Thank you for the information, deep soothing voice.

 _'And if you were the one looking after me,'_ Harry telepathically conveyed. _'Sorry for all the hassle. I didn't ask to be shrunk and you didn't ask to be screamed at, so we're even. Let bygones be bygones, capiche?'_

Harry blinked a few times, still cooing. The person rocking _her_ back and forth was quite the looker, very handsome. Was he a model or something? He looked young, somewhere in his mid-twenties, with silky copper-colored hair and deep gray eyes that gazed at her with fondness. In fact, Harry was reminded of an older Cedric Diggory, only more Asian-looking and infused with veela genes.

Was this Harry's new father?

"Come here, Reiji! My baby's smiling! Mommy wants to see her!"

 _Mommy?_

"You couldn't wait to pass her over when she was being a little terror." Reiji said, but Harry felt herself being set down on a soft thing again. Her crib maybe?

The scent of lilies hit her nose and Harry blinked at the smiling woman above her.

"There's my baby," she said softly. "Hello, little duchess."

Harry stared.

Oh. Woah.

If her new dad was veela Cedric Diggory, then her new mom was a Cho Chang enhanced a million times. She was a pale-skinned beauty with striking hazel eyes and ruby red lips. Long raven-blue hair so straight (like the models in those commercials), and beautiful symmetrical features. Her features looked sharp and refined, like a princess in one of those Asian movies Hermione secretly liked to watch.

 _Hermione..._

Both adults panicked when tears sprouted from her eyes, but Harry couldn't help it. The sudden thought of her sister in all but blood made her realize that she would never see her family again. It dawned on her that this was real, this was happening.

She ( _He?_ ) was a new person now. She was this couple's new daughter.

Her parents were more distressed over the fact that she cried so silently, unlike before when she would wail out angry sobs. It took her a while to calm down, but soon she was hiccuping into her new father's chest, easing into a distressed sleep.

* * *

Harry woke up to a different ceiling.

Soft, yellow light bathed her eyes and she was sure she was not in her crib anymore. She could feel warmth beside her and tilted her head ever so slightly, sniffing that nice lily scent from earlier.

Oh.

Her ( _His?_ ) new parents brought her to bed with them. Her sleeping mother was the source of warmth she could feel earlier. Her face was close enough that she could see her long, thick lashes and unblemished pale-peach skin. She looked so young like this, barely adult enough to have a baby. Was Lily Potter this young when she had Harry?

"Awake, Reiko?"

She snuffled in shock, limbs kicking involuntarily. Peeking up, she could see her new father dressed in deep blue nightclothes, hair slightly wet. Like her mother, he looked awfully young and unguarded up close. She pursed her lips in disapproval.

Her new father smiled almost boyishly and tickled her toes. "I swear you're listening to everything I say, little duchess. My baby's a smart girl, aren't you?"

Little duchess? Where did that come from?

Harry scrunched her nose at him and her father laughed. "You look like your mother when she's about to hit me with something pointy. Like that dagger she loves to throw around."

Wait what?

Her mother loved to throw what?

Before she could process that thought, the familiar sensation of being lifted up distracted her and she found herself snuggled into her father's chest. She assumed he was taking her somewhere outdoors because she could smell sweet breeze wafting through her nose. She burrowed into his warmth, content. Harry had hated to be touched as a child, because touching meant beatings or slaps from Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia, but this...

"Such a quiet baby you've turned into," her father hummed. "But there's nothing wrong with you, not physically anyway according to Tiziano. If he made an error…"

The air ominously stilled. Deadly. She shivered in shock.

"Ah, what's wrong little duchess?" her father said worriedly and everything was back to normal again. "Did you think I was angry?"

More like sensed it. No, Harry literally _felt_ it. What the heck was that? Whoever this Tiziano guy was, he better run for the hills.

"I'm glad you're not crying at least." He nuzzled her cheek. "Your mother was so worried earlier when you cried, she thought you were suffocating."

What-

Ah…

The mention of her earlier episode made her somber and she slowly slumped on her father's chest, not wanting to alarm him with sudden movements. It worked, and he thought she was asleep, rocking back and forth.

In his (her?) new father's arms, Harry sighed. It was so hard to believe but there was no other explanation for this. He really had been reincarnated.

But how did he die in the first place?

 _'Well...'_ a gusty sigh.

Harry might have an idea how.

When he and Hermione tracked down the Potter ancestry, they found out that Charlus Potter, Harry's grandfather, died in his sleep. From magical fatigue, the healers reported. He had been a robust, active wizard but the stress from the Grindelwald war, his duties to the Wizengamot, and raising his heir with another looming Dark Lord had been too much for the man, according to many. One day he was hale and healthy as a horse, then next he was being wept over by his grieving wife and son.

Hermione had been skeptical by the findings and had traced Harry's line even further. She found out that Charlus's case wasn't a rare occurrence and that the Potters had a history of infants who suddenly died during their first year of living and adults who go to sleep only for them to never wake up again, regardless of lifestyle.

 _'Sudden death syndrome,'_ Hermione explained. _'It can be inherited.'  
_  
But whether it was because of magical fatigue, sudden death syndrome, or some mysterious reason linked to the Peverells due to their connection to Death, one thing was only clear.

The same thing happened to Harry.

He suppose he had to be thankful. His death was quick and painless. He had just closed his eyes and felt a brief tugging sensation, stared at his dead body in surprise for a second (as if it was still alive, just asleep), then, bliss…

Harry didn't know how long he stayed in that perpetual state of nothingness, but then he heard those voices talking, felt himself fall, then, panic…

 _'The panic I felt was my mind trying to adjust,'_ Harry thought. This new body had been born months ago, but only gained awareness now.

Harry wondered about what would happen to the people he left behind now that he was dead. Teddy had Andromeda, his cousin Draco, and Narcissa. He already had a will that left everything he ever had to his godson and his grandmother. A few personal things were left to his friends but the gold he amassed, the properties and businesses he worked hard to put up, and the title of Lord Potter and Black would be left to his pseudo-son. Hermione and Ron had each other along with Rose and Hugo, and Neville had Luna.

The rest of the British Wizarding world would no doubt go into mass hysteria at the loss of their Boy-Who-Lived. Rita Skeeter (who was also another roach-that-wouldn't-snuff-it) would churn out her usual garbage. He could imagine the headlines right now; " _Harry Potter: Hoax or Hero_?". And his tomb would most likely be turned into a public monument, much like his parents' cottage in Godric's Hollow. But they could all go hang. He could rest easy, knowing that everyone he cared about had someone to lean on in their grief.

Harry was thankful that the memories of his past weren't as vivid anymore, blurred around the edges, as if he hadn't lived it but watched it instead. He could still remember facts and theories and ideas from years of learning at Hogwarts, and later at college, but it felt like it was in the backburner, hovering at the edge of his mind, waiting to be used. He could feel the rush of affection as he imagined the smiling faces of Hermione, Ron, Andromeda and Teddy. But the grief felt dull, as if it happened years ago and Harry had coped with the loss already.

Harry didn't know why he was pulled out of that blissful peace after he died. He had lived his life properly, didn't he deserve rest? He only wanted to see his parents, and Remus and Sirius but he couldn't even get that. So why...

"Our little Reiko," Harry's baby eyes opened at the soft murmur. Reiji's eyes were bright, brimming with so much fierce love that Harry felt his heart ache. "My daughter, our little miracle... We love you so much. You can be anything or anyone or any gender," Here, he chuckled. "Your mother would just find it an excuse to cosplay anyway." Reiji paused and pressed a kiss on Harry's forehead. "But no matter what, you're here and you're breathing and you're ours. For as long as you live, little duchess. That's a promise."

Harry felt his breath stutter.

Oh...

Was this why?

Is this rebirth... For him?

Harry never knew anyone who wanted him solely for him. James and Lily died early. The Dursleys didn't care. Ron first came to him because he was famous, Hermione because he saved her from a troll. Sirius loved him, but he chose revenge over his own godson's safety. The Wizarding world wanted a hero. Dumbledore wanted a sacrifice for his prophecy. Teddy adored him but he would never be first to his godson, as Andromeda filled that space. And while Harry understood and rallied and kept quiet, it hurt that he had never been regarded as first, never been loved just for who he was. As just Harry.

Looking into her father's warm smile, Harry thinks that it might no longer be true anymore.

Because Harry was now Reiko.

And Reiko's parents loved their baby, no matter what.

Even if Reiko was secretly Harry.

They loved their child anyway.

Harry sniffed, heart hammering, and that was enough to trigger tears. She burbled out a laugh when her father panicked, chest aching further at the genuine distress in his face. She was sad, she was happy but most of all, Harry felt loved. She took deep breaths, a few hiccups leaving her mouth as she snuggled further into her father's warmth.

It was a new start for Harry then. A new start as Reiko.

Not a new page, not a new chapter.

She was starting a whole new book with blank sheets and fresh ink.

 _And,_ she thought as her father continued to sway back and forth, _she was making the most of it._

Believe it.

* * *

Unbeknown to father and child, a dark, looming figure coalesced by the shadows, invisible to all but one. Its unseeing eyes were directed on the tender scene as the shadows wavered for a moment. Then a facsimile of a smile formed in its lip-less mouth as it whispered hoarsely.

 _"Good luck, little Chosen of Mine and Magic."_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Yes, the he/she part was confusing, mostly because Harry is still trying to adjust. Mind you, I'll be referring to Harry as 'Reiko' and 'she' from now on, unless in special circumstances. Questions? Violent reactions? Review right down there. It's all open space.


	2. Sunshine Daisies

_._

 _"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balances smaller, home happier, clothes dirtier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."_

.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, Ouran High Host Club, or Katekyo! Hitman Reborn. They belong to J.K. Rowling, Hatori Bisco, and Akira Amano respectively.

 **Author's Note:** Good day, peeps. Well, I decided this will be more HP than OHSHC. It'll be a long time before we reach supposed 'canon events' but Reiko will definitely mingle with OHSHC characters before that.

 **Warnings:** Massive AU, pre-canon, a lot of OC's, reincarnated Harry, genderbending, themes from other anime  & manga particularly Katekyo! Hitman Reborn

.

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* * *

 **Chapter 2**

She had no idea how to act like a baby.

With a mindset of a magical adult, Reiko believed it would be hard to perform the part of a clueless infant.

Luckily, her new baby body seemed to volunteer for the idea and was doing an excellent job of it too, going by pure instinct. She giggled at the right moments, kicked her feet and jerked her pudgy hands, and cooed at the correct people. She didn't care much for the drooling though because ugh, she always drooled when she felt the urge to smack her lips for some reason. She rarely cried, if at all, because everything she could ever need or want was handed to her by her doting parents without a problem.

Speaking of her parents, Reiko had learned a few interesting tidbits about her new family in the past few weeks of her life.

According to her mother, who had been muttering her health details while giving her medicine drops that tasted like strawberries, she was currently five months old and had been named Kanazuki Reiko.

Her parents were Kanazuki Reiji and Chouko, and they were Japanese by blood. With that said, Reiko had to do a double take at the sight of the Eiffel Tower by her window. For a Japanese couple, they sure were a long way from their motherland, staying in _France_ of all places. It made Reiko cross-eyed whenever they swapped languages during a conversation. Reiko imagined that they weren't aware that they were doing it half the time.

"Little Reikooo, _mi kawaii petite lapin_ ," her mother cooed, tickling her toes.

Pulling up her scant knowledge on languages, that meant ' _my cute little bunny_ ' in French, Japanese, then back to French again. Reiko had mused that she was getting good at the language thing, as her mother proceeded to dress her in an ivory baby gown studded in crystals and pearls.

And wasn't _that_ another surprising revelation.

Reiko's new parents were loaded. And when she meant loaded, Reiko meant _damn_.

At first she thought that her parents were traveling or something, because her accommodations were as posh as a five-star hotel, all glittering chandeliers and shiny floors. Nothing like the cupboard she'd been stuffed into for ten years. But when the marbled halls, ceiling-high windows, and red velvet carpets didn't disappear in the few weeks she had been conscious, Reiko was slowly coming to terms that her parents weren't just the well-to-do business people that she thought them to be. And it finally solidified one day when her father made his way to his study with her cradled in his arms, a butler following them a dutiful two feet away.

"Request some tea from the kitchens, would you Clovis? Some of the _Da Hong Pao_ oolong Chouko bought from China." Reiji said in clear English, striding forward and shaking a yellow rattle in front of a grabby Reiko at the same time.

Her parents had been thrilled when she began gripping things but the enthusiasm quickly waned when she pulled particularly pain-inducing objects, like hair. She couldn't help it! The swaying strands were alluring for some reason…

The aging, yet fine-looking man with steel-grey hair replied with a smile. "Of course, my lord."

Reiko stopped sucking on her pacifier to stare at her father. _Da Hong Pao oolong_ … she knew it was the most expensive tea in the world only because she had been invited by some Chinese delegates on behalf of the ICW and served what they called, 'the tea that costs more than gold'. And her father was just casually brewing it on a Tuesday afternoon like it was green tea or something…

And ' _my lord'_? Her father was a _lord_?

"Settle down, boys." Reiji reprimanded the three hulking figures that circled him joyfully when they entered the study. Reiko heard whimpers and turned in her father's arms to see three pleading doggy stares. "No, you may not play with her yet, Beau."

Reiko sent them longing looks in return as they sulked away to the unlit fireplace. Her father's three huge dogs were all incredibly friendly. They reminded her of Padfoot and she hoped she got big enough to play with them soon, because they were all too large for her parents to even think of setting her down to them. Not as big as Hagrid's Fang or god forbid, Fluffy, but big enough to bowl over three grown men with ease. Beau was a St. Bernard, the biggest of them and he even had a beer keg collar which was hilarious. Milou was the calm Labrador, and the shaggy, lion-like Farou was a breed Reiko wasn't familiar with.

Reiko was settled in her father's lap, her tiny back on his chest like he was her own miniature throne. She felt that same glowy warmth that emitted from her parents whenever she was with them wrap itself around her like a snuggly heater. Her clear eyes flitted to the things on her father's desk with interest as he occupied himself with business. Paperwork, paperwork, more paperwork… Ooooh, picture frames?

There were two pictures of her, one where she looked like a wrinkly potato (probably taken when she was only a few hours old) and another she remembered being taken a few weeks ago when her mother stuffed her in that ivory dress. But what caught her attention was a picture bordered in a small gold frame.

It was of her parents dressed in all their finery. Her father was in a complete suit and tie ensemble, strikingly gorgeous and refined, hair slicked back, and Reiko could see the high quality of his attire from picture alone. Personally, she thought that her mother's dress cut was quite tasteful. Andromeda would call it risqué, Narcissa would smile wickedly and call it scandalous, but the shade of shocking red and black added to her seductive allure. Her father was escorting her mother in what looked like a society function, a hand on her waist, showing off the wedding ring in his finger. Both of them had smiles that were high-born, not quite genuine, but cool, poised and intimidating.

It honestly reminded her of the Malfoy couple.

"—estate in Geneva needs looking, properties in Amsterdam and Lisbon still hasn't sent bi-yearly report…need to look after that, I might replace their secretaries… good of Munich to send it in early. East Asia, just checked the stocks two days ago, up by a good three percent. Five point eight billion… Hmm…" Reiji looked at her, humor in his voice. "What do you say, little duchess? Want a vacation in Germany? Although you're too young for Oktoberfest and your mother might kill me."

He saw what she was staring at and he dragged the picture forward. "Doesn't your mother look pretty? Mind you, you're not allowed to show that much skin. In fact, you're not allowed to show yourself to boys until I'm old and senile." Reiko tried to look disapproving but Reiji misread her adorably pursed expression. "Do you miss her? Don't worry Reiko. Mommy will be back from her trip this afternoon. Heaven knows why she needs to go to Milan to shop, but she just loves her shoes."

Huh. Reiko blinked.

Well bugger her six ways to Sunday. Her parents were apparently filthy stinking rich. Her mother's definition of a normal shopping day is a private jet to another country just to buy shoes for a few hours and be back before dinner as cool as you please.

She could only gape as her father proceeded to throw around massive funds by seven digits to several high-profile investments and multi-billion companies while he lightly jiggled a baby on his knee. As Harry Potter, Reiko had been a rather merciless businessman in her time under Potter Holdings as well but her brows rose in reluctant admiration at the incredibly sharp, taciturn capitalist mind her father was exhibiting. Even she hadn't been that good…

Well fuck her life. She thought she had finally gotten away from all that nonsense but noooo…

They apparently owned and lived in a _mansion_. They had maids in French uniforms and butlers in tuxedoes. She had entire wing to herself. She had a freakin' view of the Eiffel Tower in her _nursery veranda_.Her large baby suite was filled with soft toys and furnished with high-quality baby stuff. Her crib had _gold lace_ on it, for heaven's sake. She had a head nanny and three maids, but her mother was still recovering from childbirth and personally catered Reiko's needs instead.

To this day, Reiko thanked whatever deity or force of power that existed above that her mother decided not to breastfeed.

And she couldn't wait to have solids! Ooooh, treacle tart, finally! She was sick of milk and hated baby food, ugh…

Wait, why was she thinking about baby food?

She was quite sure she was ranting about something else earlier…

Stupid short attention span.

A knock on the door startled Reiko out of her musings and Reiji called for them to enter.

"You didn't have to bring it yourself, Clovis." Her father sounded exasperated when the same old man that followed them earlier entered the room. Reiko was impressed at the spring in his step. He certainly didn't act old.

In fact, Reiko squinted. There was something odd about the way he moved… Very smooth, too graceful.

 _Ethereal._ Yeah, that was right.

"I needed to stretch these old legs, sire." Clovis said. The few silver lines in his face made him enigmatic. "Think nothing of it."

"Thank you then." Reiji smiled as he placed the afternoon white tea set on the side table near the desk.

"You're welcome, sire. But may I ask for my lady Reiko's needs?" the gray-haired man eyed the baby that was comfortably slumped on her father's chest. Reiko slowly removed the fist she'd been gumming on— and how did that get in her mouth— to blink up at him.

"She's fine, aren't you little duchess?" Reiji cajoled his daughter, who squinted at him and stuffed her apparently tasty fist back inside her mouth to drool on. Yes, yes she was fine. Tummy full, diaper dry. He chuckled. "She's been very behaved."

"We're all relieved at her well-being, my lord." And Reiko heard the genuine pleasure in his voice. "Everyone was upset when she couldn't seem to settle down. It seems our worries were for naught."

"Yes, she calmed down these past few weeks." Reiji met his daughter's eyes, a green shade more vivid than her mother's. "It looks like she's going to be a mature one. Isn't that right, Reiko?"

With a narrowed look, Reiko sniffed and proceeded to smear her drool-covered fist all over her father's pristine suit. She giggled at the mildly disgusted look on his face, her humor echoed by Clovis's quiet chuckles.

"Ugh. Gross, little duchess. Cute, but gross." Reiji muttered, rubbing the paper towel Clovis handed him on the wet patch. "I swear you understand what we're saying, you cheeky child."

She did, but what of it?

"Just call for assistance if you need anything, my lord." Clovis said, voice gaining a misty quality. He looked Reiko in the eye with a slight smile. "You too, little queen."

"Little queen? Well, she certainly acts like one." Reiji said mock suspiciously. Reiko just babbled and cooed. "But I call her _little duchess_ because I call Chouko _empress_ , and she calls me _kaiser_ … or her Emperor of the Night when we're in bed—"

Okay, ew. Nope, not listening. Reiko is now deaf, stay tune for more, later when her father stops depicting his bedroom activities.

Luckily Clovis was her savior, composed face twisting minutely. "I don't think that's appropriate discussion with your infant around. _Sire_."

Oooh, sass. Reiko liked him a lot already.

"That _discussion_ made it possible for her to be here in the first place. And what's with that grumpy look on your face, little duchess?" he held out his disgruntled daughter in front of him. "You're not old enough to know what I'm talking about. In fact you're not allowed to know until you're forty. No, scratch that. You're not allowed until I'm dead. Then Chouko can deal with it."

Reiko blew him a spit bubble. Ha. _You're about several years too late, father dearest._ She even knew her orientation before being potty-trained. Reiko was strictly bi. Well, Harry was. So Reiko was most likely too.

"I believe that it would prove to be a good incentive for your daughter to murder you early instead. Since I do not approve of patricide, I ask you not to act the part of a rabid father." Clovis said. Reiko wanted to hug him, he was awesome. They both ignored Reiji's mutter of _'of course you'd say that, you only have sons'_. "And Lady Chouko would no doubt 'deal' with it by letting her have her pick of men. Or knowing her, she'd make Lady Reiko have a harem out of spite."

 _Ooooh_ , what was this harem thing of which you speak?

Reiji went still, face slack in horror. He looked at his baby with great suspicion and _was that a gleam in her eye_? He slumped in despair. "Ugh. Why did I marry that woman?"

"I believe it was due to some bout of insanity called love that prompted you to do so." Clovis answered. "And I think it hasn't gone away."

Reiko chortled, muffling her giggles by burying her face on her father's suit. Clovis looked suitably satisfied as he departed.

"By your leave, my lord." He said in the same misty tone as earlier. Catching the too-aware eyes of Reiko, he nodded and gave her a half-lidded smile that made her stiffen. "Little queen."

Reiji waved him off before Reiko could freak out. Her father returned her to his lap and he leaned back towards his paperwork, pen making light scratches on paper.

Well… Reiko thought, frowning. That was weird.

But she didn't have time to ponder on his father's butler's odd smile (maybe he had an off day), because she had a few more pressing matters that needed her attention. Gnawing on her knuckles once more (she couldn't help it, teething was a nightmare), she pondered in the silence.

So she was still under aristocracy. As Harry, she had inherited various titles and wealth from the Potter, Black, and Peverell families. The Potter inheritance she was surprised about because apparently, the vault she was using from age eleven was only a trust vault and the main family vault—which had been barred to her until she came of age— was enough to make the Malfoy's wealth tuck its tail behind its legs and skitter away in shame. The Potter account had grown in size due to several wealthy people leaving their gold for the Boy-Who-Lived and the Right of Conquest against the Dark Lord, which Reiko called in for some of the nastier Death Eaters to cut down their money in more than half.

The enormity of the Black wealth she took in with better composure, because she already had a glimpse of the maze-like stretch of gold in Bellatrix's vault and she had been informed that all of it had been transferred to the main Black account after both Lestranges had died. The Peverells were a bit trickier because what they had were not gold, but oaths of servitude, old lands, properties, and estates that remained untouched for hundreds of years.

With the help of Hermione (with her mania for knowledge), Neville (who was a crafty Lord in the making), Draco (who already _was_ a crafty Lord in the first place), and the goblins (who had been more amiable when they realized that she did them a favor by getting rid of the Horcrux), Reiko managed her businesses and titles with fervor instead of going into the Auror program as anticipated and gained the moniker 'Cutthroat Potter' in the process.

But apart from her unchanged status as a part of the elite (yes, she who had been forced into servitude by the Dursleys had two noble peerages and she still remembered the look on Vernon's face when she'd been personally knighted by the Queen) there were two concerns Reiko had to address immediately. Two concerns that would have a great impact on her new life depending on the answers she got.

One of them was _time_.

Reiko had thought that she had been reincarnated into his 'common time stream', as Hermione-the-Unspeakable had placed it. Simply put, Reiko was a person who died and got reincarnated as someone being born that same time. The only glitch in the system was that she came here with memories intact, if those ' _office voices_ ' she heard were to be believed. But instead of finding the year **2016** in the calendar on her father's study, the elegantly handwritten numbers of **1996** were scribbled instead.

So not only was she was out of body, she was most assuredly out of _time_. By twenty years.

Out of body, out of time.

This may not even be her own world anymore.

Distantly, Reiko remembered Hermione explain to her that there were several theories regarding the flow of time. One of which was the multiverse theory, which says that a number of universes co-exist side-by-side. Their differences from each other may be little or vast, because one little change in history may result in a massive consequence. In one universe, a butterfly gets eaten by a starving lizard. In another, the butterfly's wings gave an extra flap, saving itself from being eaten by that lizard. The lizard happens to be the last of its gene pool, prompting for a whole species of lizard— and who knows how many other species who depend on that lizard as food source—to no longer exist. So yes, a lizard getting its dinner may be instrumental in making the world as it is.

These universes are not infinite, according to a lecturing Hermione, because some changes result in cataclysmic results, making that universe implode on itself (Reiko rather hoped _she_ wouldn't implode), as such only a limited number of universes are stable enough to exist harmoniously.

So no, this might not be Reiko's world anymore.

Stupid butterfly.

It made her a bit somber because despite being reincarnated, she held on to hope that she would be seeing them again someday. She was in France, right? France wasn't too far from England; they're practically neighboring countries. Violent neighbors, but neighbors nonetheless. With how rich her parents were, how hard was it to urge them to visit England when she was older, slip into Diagon Alley unnoticed, portkey to Hogsmeade and see Hogwarts again? Sure, she might be a child and a _girl_ , but a quick Legilimency to check of her memories would reveal who she was and there was no doubt that Ron, Hermione, Neville and the others would accept her as she is.

But this France might not be _her_ France anymore.

The might be an Eiffel Tower but there might be no Magical France. Or Magical Britain.

Which brings Reiko to her second and greatest worry.

Magic.

She didn't doubt there was magic in this world. She could practically taste it in the air.

It was actually one of the first things she felt when she was born. The familiar hum of magic, like an ancient beloved song beneath the earth. It served as a source of comfort for her during the first trying months. The ley lines of the earth in particular were the oldest and main source of raw magic, coming from the heart nature itself and was stretched in never-ending threads throughout the whole world.

It was a power Reiko had intimate sense of ever since she possessed the three Deathly Hallows, unwilling though she was. The ley lines were situated in almost every prominent magical district in the world (and curiously enough, in Hawaii) and focused in some of the most obscure, ancient and hidden places no one dreamed still existed. Reiko herself could tap into it easily and pinpoint the location of the brightly glowing lines of streaming magic even if it was naturally invisible to everyone else, even if they couldn't use it, couldn't even nudge it.

It was impossible for witches and wizards to directly control the ley lines because it was too much magic for them to handle. It was like poking a hole in a water hose only to find out it was holding back a dam-worth of water. They could only wait for the lines to gently replenish their magical stores. But they could never manipulate it, could never pull from it unless they were suicidal or were desperate enough to call on the strongest and deadliest rituals.

But Reiko could. She could pull magic out of the ley lines as easily as having a needle puncture a balloon. She could control its flow, the amount of magic it released, and could casually close it back as if there was no rupture in the first place. It wasn't about control or power over it but one had to gently coax the magic, encourage it in a dance of cohabitation and to reassure its return once its help was given.

It had been a secret between her and Hermione because despite the fact that she was an Unspeakable whose neurotic colleagues would love to cut her open, Reiko was Hermione's friend first and foremost, and the knowledge of her sensing and using the ley lines never passed Hermione's lips.

And that was Reiko's cause of anxiety. Because the ley lines were acting oddly, humming vibrantly, almost erratic. Wild. Feral. As if it was full to bursting, eager to be used. And there was a thing about it that Reiko couldn't explain, a feeling of misplacement, as if the ley lines were a foreign, new thing that didn't recognize her but tightly latched on at first sense anyway.

 _Her_ earth had never felt this way, had never been this active. In the past, the ley lines had a feel of _flow_ , of being used, of constantly being replenished in a river of magic due of the millions of magicals tapping into it everyday, using it like a well-loved battery. It didn't have the feeling of being stuffed full, but was balanced just right, between trickling out and pouring back in. It was sleepy, peaceful, and somewhat sentient but satisfied.

Not these ley lines. The same feeling of sentience was accompanied with an impression of desperate urgency and Reiko was almost afraid to touch it. It was just there, just out of reach (in fact there was a line going through the mansion), but the eagerness from it was the exact reason why she didn't dare. Reiko had slammed the strongest mental shield she could muster up the first moment she knew that something was wrong with the ley lines— with the way it perked up greedily upon sensing her, almost drowning her with the amount of magic it attempted to pour out.

And while cutting herself off from it gave her a feeling of lost numbness, almost like a blind person in the dark, she'd rather play it safe than risk the possibility of blowing herself up along with half of Europe by toying with it.

The ley lines were different. Reiko was worried as to _why_. She was coming into her own conclusion, and she dreaded it.

Because the ley lines were meant to be used, but it felt as if it wasn't.

Because while there might be magic in this world, there might not be any _magicals_ left to use it.

And that thought terrified her more than anything.

* * *

"Reiko, my little baby!"

"Chouko, please put her down—"

Reiko realized something the moment her mother's plane landed.

Her dilemma on magic had to wait because her mother's personality was a much more pressing concern.

The moment Chouko landed on solid ground after jumping twenty feet from her not-yet-landing helicopter without so much as a scratch, she had swooped in, loomed over her husband, and snatched the baby cradled in his arms. Reiji actually stared point blank at his empty hands for a few seconds before realizing that yes, his child was currently not bundled in his arms and was being spun around by his hyper wife.

His daughter clutched her head dizzily when he finally liberated her from her mother's grip. Her chubby cheeks were pale and Reiji patted her in sympathy. He knew how it felt like to be at the receiving end of Chouko's 'affections' when she was feeling deprived. Usually it was fun for him. Sometimes… well. And unfortunately this time was one of those _sometimes_.

"Reiji! Give me back my baby!" she wailed and made grabbing motions towards Reiko.

No, she did not shrink back. Also, those manicured claws that her mother called nails did not terrify Reiko.

Not at all.

"Chouko, calm down," Reiji said, exasperated as he tried to calm his squealing, scrabbling daughter and keep her away from his reaching wife at the same time. And who knew that their little five-month old could climb around a person like a monkey? "You just saw her _five hours ago_."

"Five hours too long!"

"I'm sorry," Reiji muttered to his daughter when they finally got to the manor miraculously intact. "This is my fault. I swear this is the last time I suggest that she take a break from you."

The look Reiko gave him was utterly unforgiving. He couldn't blame her either. Chouko's love was lethal sometimes.

"I bought her lots of things!" Chouko trilled as she flew to the grand living room, five of their butlers obediently trailing after her with their arms filled with boxes. "Lots and lots of things!"

"Darling, she outgrows most of her things easily at this age so she shouldn't have anything too expensive to discard. She doesn't need most of these. Most especially not," Here, Reiji took a random box from the pile and squinted at the gold lettering. "A pair of Swarovski crystalline-embedded pair of ballerina shoes."

 _Cripes_ , Reiko cringed. She could feel a few third-world countries flinch with her. Merlin, her mother was a shopaholic. Oh god, no. Reiko could feel her soul curl in fear at the thought of shops, stores, and _endless waiting_. She had enough of it for a lifetime thanks to Narcissa, Andromeda and freakin' _Draco_ of all people. Stupid poncy peacock could out-shop his own mother.

"But I couldn't shop without thinking of her," Chouko pouted. "Whenever I try something on I always see Reiko with it too."

Reiji's look melted into fond indulgence. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to have some mother-daughter outfits for you both. That would look adorable."

 _Wow, dad._ Reiko soured. _That was pathetic. Two minutes in and already beaten. You really are still under what Clovis called 'the insanity of love'._

As if hearing her disdain, Reiji looked down at his daughter and gave a 'what-can-you-do' shrug. Reiko sniffed and turned away.

But really, her parents really were such young vibrant people that made Reiko wonder whether James and Lily would've been like them had they lived.

They were constantly in motion, tending to things with a quick efficiency that would have Hermione green with envy. What made Reiko curious however, was that underneath all that energy was a peculiar feel of… something.

Not magic no, but something vaguely similar. It was a very warm feeling of home and belongingness, not quite the bright glowing magical core that was present in every witch or wizard but something that encompassed them wholly, like a fierce spirit that fuels their willpower. A magical core was an extension of the wizard, one that can be ripped out or suppressed. Her parents' 'magic' blanketed their soul so completely that Reiko was sure it could never be removed.

It calmed something in Reiko's heart because even if she wasn't sure about the existence of magicals, at least her parents themselves were showing something so similar to magic that it meant that there were others out there with the same capabilities.

She wasn't alone.

She wasn't a freak.

* * *

 _Eight months old_

Routine was quickly established in the Kanazuki household.

Reiko learned early that while her parents kept some things properly scheduled, one thing they both enjoyed the most was being spontaneous and bursting out surprises at people.

It was a both a boon and a curse in the workplace, because—as she listened to her parents talking while they tucked her in—both of them were apparently notorious for random global inspections. They appeared from one side of the map to the next, just to check if their five-star hotels or finance companies were not slacking off. They even talked about the ways they usually surprised their employees, and Reiko was not the least startled at their preferred methods. Her mother would pop in with a manic sort of glee to terrify them into working, while her father would stride in like he owned the building (which he did) and watch them with a pleasant smile, turning everyone paranoid.

This ensured that they kept most of their essential employees and fired the dead weights. However, it made board members go into a tizzy because when it came to making big decisions, they made many outrageous choices that caused half the associates to want to quit and the other half tear their hair off, only for those same outrageous choices to reap multiple zeroes in the global market. It drove everyone mad, her mother would giggle evilly, the way their most unpopular decisions would bring in so much revenue and no one knew how they did it.

But random hits in the stock market aside, Reiji and Chouko had some parts of their schedule that they would never budge on, exceptions like birthdays, special events and anniversaries, wherein they would always keep track of time properly.

Reiko was one of those exceptions.

Chouko was on leave, practically stayed around all day and Reiko learned that she had been idle for almost a year now ever since she was pregnant and it didn't look like she was considering a change in routine. When one of the secretaries informed her of her supposed 'schedule' because some people were demanding her presence, her mother promptly took one look at the file and threw it at the side.

Her mother was incredibly indulgent of her and sometimes Reiko would be weirded out by the amount of devotion she showed were it not for the look on her eyes on some days. It was a look of desperate happiness, of a person who couldn't believe what they had in front of them was real and was half-fearful that it was just an illusion. Reiko knew that feeling, having experienced it before when Sirius offered him an idea of a home together.

During these times Reiko would stop being weirded out and just clung to her mother as fiercely as she held her. She did wonder why her mother acted this way but that was a mystery for another day.

Reiji wasn't around as much as Chouko but Reiko still saw him every day. He was the first person she saw every morning and the last at night. He would greet her when she woke up and did all of Reiko's baby needs himself, the feeding, bathing and the changing, and she must say, he was very good at the messy stuff especially when Reiko would jerk her tiny hands around during bath time and splash all over his pristine suit or burp milk on his shoulder after she was fed. He endured it all with a look of fond indulgence, his eyes warm and adoring.

Her new father made sure to spend a few minutes with her before leaving for whatever he did for work. He would talk to her idly or hum a tune, rocking her back and forth in his chest, smelling of sandalwood and pine before kissing her in the forehead and leaving her to her mother or head nanny.

At night both of her parents would take her somewhere new, hoisting her in their arms and talk to each other about their day. In the estate gardens, in the beautiful hallways, sometimes in their suite to play with her, just enjoying each other's presence. They were some of her most treasured moments because every façade or mask her parents wore and faced the rest of the world with during the day would fade and they'd be nothing more than husband and wife and parents and child in the safety of home. Reiko would feel that warm, glowy 'not-magic' sensation from them again, utterly content. Reiko would be brought back to her crib before eight, her parents staying close until her eyelids drooped.

They were different from what Reiko expected, different from other rich parents Reiko knew of in her past life. She knew Draco grew up with house elves and Narcissa and Lucius had been too busy for their only son so…

It was humbling to feel the amount of love Reiji and Chouko had for her.

* * *

 _Ten months old_

Reiko could now sit upright on her baby butt, which consequently meant something significant to her parents.

Portraits.

When she was younger, and by younger she meant by a few weeks, they couldn't take any family portraits since she was too busy yelling her head off. But now that she proved herself to be a naturally pleasant child, they decided she was old enough to be immortalized in canvas.

"There we go, little duchess. Such a pretty little girl." Her mother cooed, smoothing Reiko's blue-black hair.

She tried to be dignified by keeping still, but the kiss on her nose and the feel of fingers ghosting her tummy proved that it was futile, and Reiko soon dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Reiko was glad she wasn't in any poofy outfit. Instead, she wore a pretty kimono-like dress with orange blossom patterns and her thin baby hair was pinned with a cream-colored flower clip. Her mother was wearing something similar, only it was red and altered to something that resembled a Chinese battle dress, slinky and form-fitting.

"There's the two most beautiful women in the world," Reiji said warmly, appearing in what looked to be like a black robe with a white sash tied at the waist.

"Straighten up your hakama dear," Chouko said. "Goodness knows why we need to take a portrait in these clothes."

"Because it'll pacify the clan? They're already fuming that we left." Reiji said, looking at her up and down, brows raised. "And that outfit of yours is definitely going to make them talk."

Blood red lips smirked and Chouko angled her hips seductively. "Let them, I don't care. Those old bats muttering that I couldn't give you an heir are now singing my praises and I don't like being in their good books. I want to scandalize them."

Reiko's eyes widened. Oh. Her mother had trouble having children?

"In that outfit, of course you will." Reiji rolled his eyes. "And no one can ever question Reiko's parentage—"

"I'll cut them in half if they do—"

"—one look at her and they would shut their mouths."

That was very true. Reiko had Chouko's coloring; silky blue-black hair, green eyes a touch more vivid than her mother's, and pale skin. But she had her father's face; almond-shaped eyes, well-defined lips and high cheekbones. She was a perfect mesh of her parents and only a blind man could deny their relation.

"Let's just get this over with," Chouko sighed dramatically. "I have ten outfits ready for Reiko-chan after this portrait. We won't send the next pictures to those mothball-elders. We'll hang these around the manor."

Reiko gaped in horror. _Ten outfits?!_

* * *

 _One year old_

A few months came and went and Reiko was now celebrating her first birthday.

It was not the large grandiose affair she dreaded. Instead, it was a nice gathering of the household staff and her parents, who put up balloons and streamers and propped tables and chairs in her mother's opulent garden. Beau, Milou, and Farou were gamboling around her with party hats in their furry heads and she giggled loudly and chased after them, finally allowed to mingle with her father's overly-friendly dogs. The staff were going around the garden, chatting and eating, and Reiko loved that they were so easy with her and her parents. They showed respect and deference, but they also genuinely liked the small family they served.

She was glad it was no stiff-upper lip society function, instead she was surrounded by friends and family.

" _Gâ-teau_?" She called to her maid Maria, almost stumbling on the French word for cake. Most of the staff spoke French, although they understood English just fine.

"Ooooh, that's another word!" Chouko squealed at the side. "Mark it down, mark it down!"

At first, Reiko's parents had been worried that even though she had transformed into a charming, well-behaved child over the months, there was still the possibility that she was not developing properly as they never caught her attempting to walk or saying anything except for her occasional squeals and giggles. Before she knew what was going on, they had brought her to the doctor to find out what was wrong.

"There's nothing wrong with her physically," the man examining her had scratched his five o'clock stubble and Reiko watched in fascination as her mother seethed in silence. Her doctor was Tiziano, the same guy his father threatened if there was something wrong with Reiko. The same guy had tried to grope her mother, triggering Chouko to unleash a long, clear needle-like weapon and stab him straight out in the thigh. He had cursed in Italian and pulled it out, pants turning a dull red hue.

Her mother hit a major blood vessel. Reiko was in love.

"What do you mean there's nothing wrong with her?" Chouko had demanded, hands on her hips.

"Her vocal cords are in perfect working order, there's no blunt trauma to her head, and there's no history of infection or disease that could indicate that she couldn't walk or talk," Tiziano drawled with a faint accent, inching away from the fuming mother lest she open another vein.

Reiko was reluctantly impressed. He got all that from just tapping on her random body parts? Maybe that was why her parents hired him despite his wandering hands and dubious appearance.

"What should we do then?" Reiji prompted, holding his daughter in one arm and restraining his wife with the other.

"Honestly? Just wait for her to walk and talk. Has she been looking at you intently, maybe when you say something or talk to her directly?"

The couple looked at each other, surprised.

Reiko blinked. She _had_ been looking at them intently, but not because she was learning to walk or talk (speaking of which, she'll be dropping a few 'mama/dada' later just to pacify them both). It was because she had just realized that she could actually nudge that warm magical feeling that enveloped her parents and it would nudge back at her, much to her delight. So she's taken to staring at them intently, hoping that it happened more often.

But hey, she's being handed an automatic excuse for her blatant staring so she didn't mind.

"There you go." The perverted doctor grunted. "She'll do it when she's ready. Seems to me that she's just preparing herself. Tsk, figures. Only your kid would want to _talk properly_ before actually talking."

Reiko swore some of the windows cracked at the decibel her mother reached when a few day after her check-up, she toddled up and uttered her first words, which was 'mama' of course. Soon after, she began babbling words properly and more often, mentally thanking the pervy doctor for giving her an air-tight excuse for saying things correctly and skipping the baby talk altogether.

Reiko was brought back to the present when Maria poked her cheek.

" _Bien sûr, petite duchessa_." The maid reminded her of her request for cake. Reiko brightened. Her mother made sure that her birthday cakes were suitable for a one-year old. " _Saveur_?"

" _Ce-ri-ses?_ "Reiko asked for that particular flavor immediately. For some reason, her new self adored cherries ever since her mother let her have a little of her dessert. There was something about the taste of the red fruit that made her mouth water. She didn't remember having cherries before…

"That's another word!" Chouko cheered, then glared laser eyes at Reiji. "Where is she learning all these? Have you been reciting the French dictionary to her again?"

He cringed in guilt.

Maria took a paper plate, slid a plastic fork at the side and sliced a small portion of cake topped with jammed cherry. The maid laughed at the bright look on her face.

Reiko toddled away, precariously holding her treat far from the three frolicking dogs.

"Gifts!" Chouko sang a few minutes later, clapping her hands. "Time for gifts! Reiji, where are you?"

"Just shooed away a silly-looking bird," the Kanazuki head muttered, appearing suddenly. "A crow during this season, honestly…"

 _Crow?_ Reiko paused in sucking the syrup out of her spoon. _Bad omen…_

Everyone huddled around Reiko and her mother plopped her on the downy grass. She smiled at them hesitantly, fixing the crooked silver crown that her mother placed on her head.

The staff squabbled about who got to present their gifts first. Reiko and her parents just smiled indulgently as they figured it out for themselves. Finally, they drew lots and decided to let the maintenance staff go first, then the secretarial, then the technical and lastly, the service personnel.

Her mother opened the gifts for her (because a one year old shouldn't have that good of a grasp, but why they didn't wonder how she could understand most of their questions was something she wouldn't dwell on) and Reiko chirped out a bright ' _Merci_ ' for each one she received. They melted at the innocent show of gratitude and Reiko basked in the genuine care she could feel from all of them. Most of them were books and toys, but some were lovingly handmade like the wood-carved rocking horse from their family's stable groom Tomaso, and the basket of plush soft animals from the assistant cook Hannah, who loved to knit.

"And last would be from Clovis," Chouko announced, methodically putting the wrappers aside. "Before we proceed to Mama and Papa's gifts of course."

Behind her back, Reiji rolled his eyes. Some of the maids giggled.

Her father's personal butler came forward, holding a box wrapped in gold. Reiko held it precariously between her fingers, saying her thanks. The butler just smiled at her enigmatically.

A bit unsure now, she shoved it to her mother who unwrapped it slowly, showing an ornate-looking box decorated in white ceramic and bronze patterns.

Chouko clicked it open, and Reiko's heart stopped at the undeniable wave of pure magic that it exuded. She didn't notice that her mother stilled the same time she did.

"What's inside, m'lady?" Hannah the assistant cook peered. "Oh, isn't that cute? Sir Clovis, you do know how to pick gifts for girls!"

Reiko was still gaping.

Because Clovis's gift was a wand.

But not just any wand, no.

It was a pink monstrosity, all sparkly and studded with faux crystals, like the one she saw little girls would wave around during Halloween. There was a ruby heart on top, enthroned in gold filigree and tiny white gems. The handle was inlaid with more gold and crystals, pink, white and red and there was a gigantic frilly pink bow tied in the middle. The butt of the 'wand' was a giant faux white diamond that glimmered in the sun and Reiko had never seen anything so freakishly 'Umbridge-pink' in her life.

She was afraid to touch it. Luna had once swore up and down that the squat, toad-like Fudge-worshipper had rabies.

 _What kind of joke is this? What if the Umbridge-wand bit her? She didn't want to get infected with Umbridge-itis!_

But she could not deny the waves of magic it exuded. It was practically pouring out in vibrant energy. This was the closest clue Reiko ever had about magic from this world.

Dazedly, she reached out for it. But before her chubby fingers could make contact, her mother closed the box with a sharp snap.

The feel of magic disappeared.

 _Noooo…_

"Thank you, Clovis!" the matriarch sang in the butler's direction. "Little duchess, say thank you!"

Flinging out an impatient ' _Merci_ ', Reiko turned her attention back to the box and stretched for it in vain. Her mother had flung it at the hill of toys and it wobbled out of view.

"Oh, how adorable. She wants it so much," one of the maids cooed at the side.

" _Of course I effin' want it. It's magic, bitch!"_ Reiko retorted, but what came out of her mouth was a high-pitched yowl and a spew of gibberish. She cursed her undeveloped vocal cords.

"Patience, little duchess. You can't have everything this early on," her mother tutted, tapping her nose. Reiko paused, narrowing her eyes. "Our presents now!"

The declaration was followed by a procession of even more gifts, and Reiko wanted to bang her head into anything solid, really. She appreciated her parents' love, one that she didn't receive in her past life, but she didn't need material things. She didn't need all of these to know that they cared.

 _And she wanted the freaky wand, for Merlin's sake!_

Her father seemed to have the same thought.

"Chouko… Did you forget that father just sent Reiko a whole load of gifts?" Reiji said with a defeated edge in his voice.

"But half of his gifts were useless!" Chouko insisted. "Reiko couldn't even use it!"

"You would never say that to his face," Reiji said. "In fact, you even scolded me when I pointed it out."

"Because you're not supposed to be rude to your father." Chouko retorted, hoisting Reiko up in the air and reveling in her happy squeals. "He's an old man, you have to be gentle."

"The same old man has a Heckler MG4 machine gun in his pocket and drinks nothing but Gatorade when he treks the South Pole in bermuda shorts." Reiji said sarcastically. "I think he'll be fine when we say that his gifts are useless."

Chouko opened her mouth to answer but a hoarse _caw_ resounded the garden. Everyone stopped to look and Reiji swore, getting up from his lounge.

"There's that crow again."

"Bad omen…"

"What on earth."

Peeking, Reiko saw a shiny black raven with ruby eyes perched on a tree as it snapped its beak loudly.

She didn't notice how a certain butler stared at it just as intently.

* * *

" _Merde_!"

Reiko clapped a hand to her mouth but it was too late.

"Where did you learn that word, baby?" Chouko gasped. "Ooooh, if it was Reiji I'll string him up by his intestines—"

It was the day after her birthday when Reiko remembered all thoughts about the 'Umbridge-wand'. She was a baby, she cursed mentally. She still had a short attention span and it was easy for her to get distracted by the next sparkly thing. But now she remembered, and she needed to do something about it.

So Reiko wrenched herself away from her mother's 'dress-up game' (Chouko was still busy ranting about her potty mouth) and toddled over to her baby suite to see the maids bringing her new presents inside. She had immediately dived in, looking for the ornate box containing the freaky pink thing.

"Oh, are you excited about your new playthings, little mistress?" One of them cooed, removing some of the hard toys away as Reiko shuffled everything out.

"Vivi!" she cried after careful perusal, frustrated. It wasn't in any of the toys! She didn't like the pink wand but it was a clue to magic!

"You're looking for Sir Clovis's gift?"

She perked up. Reiko called the old man 'Vivi' since she struggled with pronouncing the letter 's'.

"It's cute that you still remember it!"

 _That wasn't an answer, lady!_

One of the older maids strode by, "I believe the Lady Chouko kept it with some of the presents she said she couldn't play with yet."

"Mama!"

They tittered at her indulgently. "That's right, little mistress. Your mama has it."

Well, drat. If her fiery mother kept it, then there was no way she could get it right now. Chouko had the stubbornness of a bull and whenever she declared that Reiko was not allowed something yet, then all the world should move itself to ban Reiko from whatever thing or activity she wasn't allowed to have or do.

Reiko might just have to wait for a while.

She hummed.

Well, she had all the time in the world now. Maybe she should take a break from magic. Waiting didn't sound so bad…

"Oh, Reiko! There you are," her spine tingled at the chirp of her mother's voice coming from her walk-in closet. Reiko looked up from her bedchamber to see her float inside the room laden with lacy dresses. "Come, little duchess! I've got more cute outfits for you to try!"

Scratch that. Waiting took _forever_.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I try to keep two chapters done before posting anything, just to ensure that I'm actually working on it and for me to be able to change some ideas with less hassle. I might get a beta, but I've never had one so I'll consider it in the meantime. Read and review!

Memory out.


	3. Affirmations and Alliances

_._

 _If someone told Harry that he'd be reborn as a Japanese heiress spending her childhood riding a pony on the French countryside, he'd laugh at their face and hex them all the way to St. Mungo's._

 _._

 **Author's Note:** Wowzers! 200+ faves, 300+ likes, 32 reviews in two chapters? Blimey, people I'm touched. The response to this story is amazing that I can't help but be more enthusiastic in writing. With that being said, I have a rough outline on where I'm going to take this story, but I'm asking for your opinions too.

What would you want to see happening in this story?

And a shoutout to **LazzzyCat** for noticing an error last chapter. Thank yews for pointing it out. Please point out any mistakes you might see, I'm beta-less right now.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, OHSHC, or Katekyo! Hitman Reborn

 **Warnings:** Major AU, gender-bending, minor timeskip, major KHR themes in this chapter, a lot of OC's and OOC's.

 _._

 _._

* * *

 _Two years old_

At first, Reiko was unsure whether she should reveal her advanced intelligence to the world or remain a 'normal baby'.

Both options had their undesirable points. Showing her 'genius' would undoubtedly gain her a lot of attention and from Reiko's 'Boy-Who-Lived' experience, fame was very much against her. She didn't like the lack of privacy, the way people nosed through your business like they had every right to be there. She didn't like the scrutiny either, because fame was a fickle two-faced bitch in where you're adored at first and next thing you know, you're despised like the next coming of Voldemort.

But if she went through her childhood normally, Reiko would be effin' _bored_. While she appreciated the attention and freedom and lack of chores, Reiko didn't want to drool or shriek or play around like a normal kid for years. She wasn't even sure if she could do it. She was bad at acting because she couldn't help but react at some of the more outrageous things her parents did. They might suspect something was strange about her and the last thing Reiko needed was Reiji and Chouko watching her intently, especially as they already seemed to be more intuitive than normal people.

But Reiko would also like to hide her intelligence because she liked the anonymity of being normal (or as normal as a child of two billionaires could be). People wouldn't bother her, wouldn't expect much of her, and wouldn't write horrible stories about her in the papers like Rita Skeeter and her acid-quill pen.

For months she pondered on this until a recent letter from Japan tipped the scales for her. And she pondered no more.

"They're talking about marrying her off," Chouko crumpled the piece of paper, somehow setting in on fire with a burst of orange flames.

Reiji's eyes narrowed, clutching a recently two-year old Reiko who was squirming restlessly. "Do they _want_ to die?"

Both parents had deadly glints in their eyes and Reiko appreciated their love and fierce protectiveness once more.

But that had been the final straw for her. That innocent piece of paper that her mother somehow set on fire without help from any flammables contained a report of their relatives from Japan, about how her mother's spies caught wind of their plans to enter Reiko into an engagement with a distant relative from her mother's side to 'merge families for the benefit of all'.

Fuck that.

Reiko would be no one's broodmare.

But that was the norm, wasn't it? Females rarely made it to the business world because of the viciousness of that field. It was a dog-eat-dog situation, make it or break it. Reiko had lost count of the number of times she had to salvage ruined muggle businesses before because the owners were unable to keep up with globalization. Just last week, she remembered with clarity the way her father viciously took over a New York firm, giving him an opportunity to debut in the North American market.

It was a sexist and merciless field, and people had no patience to listen to women in this instance. It was a men's world dominated by the top alphas of society, a game of gentlemen. Oh, there were females here and there but they were the rare exceptions that managed to claw their way in by fucking with the system and letting no men dominate their work. Her mother Chouko was a prime example, leading her own corporation separated from Reiji's businesses, and she was successful because of a mix of her own don't-fuck-with-me attitude and her own husband's support.

But apart from the few shining gems, most of the females were trophy wives, society women, that pretty little thing at the arm of this and that businessman.

So the moment Reiko heard what her relatives had written, she decided that hell yeah, child baby genius it is. If she could prove to the world that she could leave all potential suitors behind and make them cry for their mommies, then they'd leave her alone. She'll show all of them that she didn't need that _thing_ dangling from a guy to succeed and she had what it takes to follow her mother and father's footsteps and even exceed what they had accomplished. That she didn't need a man to make it to the top, and that she could handle herself no matter how many balls she had to crush.

Reiko narrowed her eyes.

She was Lord Hadrian Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Man-Who-Conquered.

She was a Kanazuki, Chouko's daughter, Reiji's heir.

She was no one's bitch, no one's broodmare, no one's future trophy wife.

Fuck them double standards.

* * *

And so Reiko started to show her genius. Nodding or shaking her head intently when they asked her questions, making it perfectly clear that she understood what they were telling her. She tried to be obedient and agreeable towards her parents and most of the servants, although she usually abandoned ship when her mother got too crazy. She wasn't fussy and tried to look alert and focused. It was all in the name of avoiding the fate of being a high-class baby maker.

It was her father who truly noticed it first.

Reiji had been reading to her, a ritual they did every night before she went to sleep ever since she turned a year old. She showed impatience with picture and nursery books so her father moved on to simple story books. Reiji was speaking slowly, enunciating his every word and Reiko audibly chimed in with clear diction, following the movements of his fingers through the letters until she noticed that his voice abruptly stopped.

"Papa?" she looked up innocently from the part where Alice was meeting the Cheshire Cat. Her father had an odd look on his face. "Papa, read?"

"You seem to be doing quite well without my help, little duchess." He said wryly, but there was a note of wonder in his voice, much to her satisfaction.

"Papa, read wit' me." She commanded. She might have gotten her goal of making him notice that she already knew how to read, but this was still their bonding time!

He chuckled, nuzzling her cheek. "Alright, little duchess."

They read out loud until Reiko's eyes drooped because unfortunately, her body was still weak compared to her former stamina. Nap times were still mandatory for Reiko.

The very next day, she found herself propped in her baby seat at the front row of her father's sleek Cadillac as they drove to see… her pervy doctor.

"Tiziano!" Her father cheerfully knocked on the nondescript door of an ordinary-looking white building. "Open up, Shamal!"

"Ugh, you again?" came the pained groan. "I'm supposed to be hiding! Undercover! Incognito! How do you keep finding me?"

Reiko bit her pacifier in displeasure. Great. She could count the number of times she had been allowed out of the manor in one hand and it was just her luck that two of those fingers were reserved for her doctor.

" _Santa Maria_. You and your family keeps giving me problems," Tiziano grouched as he let them in the surprisingly modern office, bloodshot eyes and woozy movements telling Reiko that he had a nice night out yesterday and was still suffering from ill effects.

"You went drinking," Reiji said, unknowingly voicing his daughter's disapproval. "Why haven't you cured your hangover yet?"

"What's the point of getting piss-drunk if you don't get smashed the next morning?" The perverted doctor said rhetorically, ignoring Reiji's mutter of 'masochist'. He sniffed at the identical looks of annoyance both father and daughter shot him. "I see you haven't bought your demonic wife with you."

"With how you're dressed in front of my daughter, you should count it as a blessing." Reiji said, gray eyes now amused. "She'd use your innards as a scarf."

Tiziano winced. "Point. Ugh, Primo knows why you married one of the most dangerous woman in the underworld."

Reiko spat out her pacifier, almost hacking out a tiny lung. Her father distractedly rubbed her back, replying with a dry tone, "I waited for Chouko to walk down the aisle with both eyes wide open."

"And half your brain lobotomized. With her skill with knives it's a possibility." Tiziano squinted at the still-coughing baby. "Now what's wrong with this little lady here?"

"Right. It's about her progress. You see—"

Her father explained her unnatural mental capabilities. Reiko got her brain scanned by a clunky apparatus and she was placed on a cushy white sofa as both males poured over her results.

"Hum…" The hungover doctor didn't look so hungover anymore, staring at the black and white scans of her brain with interest. "Hmmm…"

"What is it?" Reiji frowned.

"There seems to be more grey matter in her brain than is applicable for her age. Areas that include mental development, speech, self-control and sensory perception are most advanced… In fact, if I didn't scan it personally, I'd say I was looking at the results of a six–year old."

The astonishment on Reiji's face was palpable and he glanced at his daughter, who blinked back innocently.

"This is remarkable you know," Tiziano said, fully on doctor-mode. "As expected of the child of two Skies, she's very special—"

"Don't involve flames in this. Just because—"

"You and Chouko can't ignore it. Primo's parents were both Skies as well—"

Reiko was at sea. Totally lost. What the heck are they talking about?!

"She's advanced for her age. She doesn't cry a lot, doesn't throw tantrums. Her eyes are clear and she looks at us with focus. I sometimes get the feeling that she understands what we're saying." Reiji glanced at his daughter, who had apparently grown bored and was now slumped on the couch, snoozing. He couldn't help his smile.

"That's normal for child geniuses. In her case especially, since her flames—"

"Don't go there."

"I'm just saying—"

" _ **Don't."**_

There was will in his voice and Reiko visibly perked up at the sight of her father's amber 'not-magic' flaring out.

Reiko had toppled out of her blanket the first time she laid eyes on it, when her mother and father had been arguing lightly and had somehow summoned visible orange fire around their bodies. The flames were provoking and prodding each other in a mass of emotions, much like what their owners were doing. Her mother's flames were a shade darker and bigger but her father's flames were just as intimidating. It took Reiko a second to realize that not everyone could see it, with how the maids continued to skitter at the side cool as you please, not the least bit concerned that their employers were blazing. Literally. It made Reiko conclude that there really was something magical about her parents too.

Something in her heart lightened at the reassurance.

Reiko squinted at the suddenly bright flare. The 'not-magic' flames were reacting to her father's emotions, rendering the pervy doctor to submissive silence, his bloodshot eyes looking two feet above her father's head.

 _He could see it too…_

"So what can we do?" Reiji asked, orange flames subsiding.

Tiziano fidgeted. "Honestly? Don't coddle her too much. I know your draconic wife treats her like she's the Oppenheimer blue diamond but it could hinder her progress. And at the same time, don't try to take her childhood away. Her emotional and memory levels are actually the most appropriate for her age, see here?" The doctor flipped her results and traced a lighter line on her brain image. "She's still a toddler in terms of emotional maturity. She'll be inquisitive, she'd want to go outdoors, run around. It's a fine line between treating her as a baby and an independent child."

"Alright," Her father said, looking at Reiko's results speculatively.

As they drove back to the manor, Reiko chewed her pacifier and mulled over the revelation that her mother was part of the underworld and that her father was well-aware of her profession.

 _My mom's a professional killer. And dad's totally cool with that._

It was… well. Not terribly surprising. Actually it made a lot of sense. Her mother moved too gracefully for it to be considered as something she just learned during etiquette lessons. Her gestures were done subconsciously, like it was second nature, and Reiko realized that she actually never heard her mother's footsteps making a sound unless she intended it to. It was a common Auror tactic, silencing footsteps with magic to spy or sneak in better, and Reiko wondered how her mother did it without supernatural aid.

And then there were the weapons. She remembered her father making a comment about her mother's daggers before, and the long needle-like weapon she expertly threw at Tiziano when he dared to cop a feel during Reiko's first check-up. Heck, Chouko's own personal study was filled with freakin' weapons, from swords and knives to brass knuckles and axes. It was like a museum. Reiko thought weapons-collecting was just an eccentric quirk of her mother's. Apparently not.

Branded into Reiko's mind was the exquisite sword protected in a glass case at the very center of the room, retracted in a dragon-patterned golden sheath with ruby eyes. _Benihime_ , it was named.

There were two possible crime organizations her mother belonged to; the Japanese Yakuza or the Chinese Triads. But based from what Reiko knew, the Yakuza were tight-knight and mostly male so that made the Triads the obvious choice. And despite her Japanese origins, Chouko herself seemed to have a fondness for Chinese tastes, like tea and clothing. Heck, Reiko's own godfather was Chinese.

"This is from your _jiàofù_ , little duchess." Chouko had cuddled Reiko one rainy afternoon, showing her some beautiful ornamental flower clips with real blossoms embedded on the crystal molds. "A present for you from your godfather Yuen. He can't see you right now, but he's doing his godfatherly duties quite well, don't you say?"

Her mother spoke about him with fondness, like a little sister's hero-worship for her older brother. Reiko had never met him in person nor had she seen any pictures of him but he was always prompt in delivering presents during special occasions like her birthday and little trinkets or letters almost every week.

She blinked when her father pulled her from her carrier and strode into the manor, waving away the servants who offered assistance in carrying her. Chouko was waiting for them by the entrance, her face neutrally expectant.

"What is it?" she asked, kissing them both. Reiko sniffed her mother's neck, comforted at the scent of lilies and a metallic tinge of _something_. "What did Tiziano say?"

"Later." Reiji said shortly.

After that day there was a change in her parents' attentiveness. Her father talked to her like she was a mini-adult and continued to bring her to his study while he worked, pointing out business phrases and words that Reiko already knew before as Harry but paid special attention to anyway, because it was her father explaining. Her mother turned to have a bigger change in attitude though. She no longer acted as if Reiko needed to be wrapped in sable fur and allowed Reiko outside more, even letting her join in her exercises.

There was no more fascinating sight than her mother fluidly going through her katas. It looked like she was dancing ethereally instead of going through motions that could disarm and kill opponents. The way she moved also changed according to her intentions; one minute she looked alluring and seductive, then the next steps would be predatory, almost blood-thirsty.

"Ah, baby. Are you looking at mommy moving?" Chouko cooed where Reiko was seated on a soft blanket in the grass. Her mother had an orange glow to her, green eyes bright.

Reiko squealed happily, clapping her hands at her. She wanted to learn those katas badly. In her memories as Harry, she hadn't see anything like it.

"Good! You're too young right now but you're going to learn them soon."

 _That's what I'm talking about!_

Reiko tried to crow out but it came out garbled. It made her mother laugh anyway.

* * *

 _Four years old_

At four years old, there was a lot Reiko could do compared to when she was two. She was allowed to roam the entirety of the manor without supervision except for a few places that were barred to her, like her mother's weapons vault.

She didn't mind. There was a lot to see in the manor anyway. The _Vallee de Houx_ , or the Hollyvale manor was the name of the Kanazuki's French chateau and the family's current home. It was named due to the patches of holly that stubbornly crept around the manor's stonework no matter how many times they were removed. Whenever Reiko took a walk around the estate, she always found gardeners dutifully pulling out bushes of the flowering plant.

The holly was actually important to her family—not only because it kept sprouting around like no one's business and was the reason why their gardeners had to dedicate a full day of clearing them out— but it was also the name of her father's behemoth empire, Ilex Grand Corporation.

 _Ilex_ was another word for holly, and it showed by the four pale holly leaves making up the company symbol with a golden staff in the middle. It was a multi-billion dollar conglomerate and was fast spreading, according to the deeply satisfied look on her father's face whenever he came back from work or overseas.

"What does this mean, daddy?" she asked one evening, pointing at a number of logistics over her bowl of pudding.

Reiji wrenched his eyes away from his paperwork (because he swore they were breeding) and said, "That's a list of potential businesses that we can take over, little duchess. See—"

But while her father was off trolling meetings and board members, Reiko stayed at home with her mother, who had made her a daily schedule. Reiko's mornings were filled with exercises. Jogging and light stretching with her mother before breakfast, reflexes training by nine, and the rest of the hours were spent with her doing the ballet. Just this morning she had spent two hours of these;

" _Relever_ —no, no rise slowly! The tip of your toes must be pointed, little duchess."

"Bend your knees properly, Reiko. Give me _a plié_ —"

"Watch your movements, see the mirror—"

Yes, _ballet_. Laugh it up.

Given her line of work, Chouko was a predictably graceful dancer and could probably pass as the _prima_ for any ballet recital. Reiko, not so much. What with her tripping over trouble every other week when she was still Harry, it was a wonder she didn't tumble over a hoarde of hungry Venomous Tentacula and got eaten alive. She had only been elegant in the air with a broomstick but tended to kiss dirt when on solid ground and it seemed that her less than dainty movements were reincarnated with her.

Chouko wasn't having any of it.

She drilled her daughter to the ground and Reiko couldn't believe that such a pretty and delicate art could be such _torture_. She was never looking at a ballerina with the same eyes again. How could they bend their bones that way? Plus, she had no mother during these lessons because Chouko was in full-out 'teacher-mode' and it was downright terrifying.

Reiko's afternoons were varied. Sometimes her mother still took charge of her time after lunch and a quick nap. Her lessons would include etiquette, manners, right conduct. How to curtsy, smile without looking too eager or disinterested, how to walk elegantly without making a sound. Which eating utensil to use, what to wear, the different kinds of _faux pas_ , how to engage several people in conversation without leaving someone out. How to pinpoint the cunning, the bland, the airheaded, and the leaders in a sea of people.

"—it's all in their facial expressions and movements baby. A poker-face is never completely stiff, there are details you can pinpoint in order to find out their real intentions. And don't write off the bubbly, cheerful ones either. Sometimes it's just a mask to get your guard down—"

Chouko was probably not expecting her to remember much of what she was saying, but Reiko dutifully took her mother's tedious studies to heart. She knew almost half of them anyway, because Draco was a meticulous teacher and he refused to ' _mingle with plebians like you unless you clean up, Potter_ '. But Chouko was teaching her several things that she never knew from Draco's lessons. And now that she was a girl, some of the Malfoy scion's lessons were obsolete because being a female in elite society was a whole different ballgame than it had been when Reiko was male. Being female involved more demure smiles and charming flattery instead of just having a commanding presence and influence.

Reiko now wished she took Narcissa's offer to train with her before, but it was now a useless regret. Chouko was taking over anyway, and she was learning a lot from her mother.

Sometimes when she didn't feel like torturing her with _pirouettes_ and salad forks, Chouko let Reiko go off on her own. The reincarnated girl would trot outdoors with the Giant Dog Squad (as Reiko called Beau, Milou, and Farou) and she would either spend time gardening with Maria and help in pulling the sprouting holly, or stay with the horses on the stables, riding her pony on the crisp autumn grounds when the stable hands allowed her.

And yes, she has a pony.

During rainy days she'd be in the kitchens. Back before as Harry, cooking had been a chore and a punishment. Even though she liked cooking, she never really got the chance to enjoy it since it was always tinged with Petunia's harsh words and complaints in the background.

But now she loved it. They had a few matronly chefs and they encouraged Reiko to cook and bake on her own, even though they kept her away from the stove and oven for now. Reiji and Chouko were in support of her little hobby too.

"Sure, why not? Considering your mother could burn a pot of water, I'd figure a little cook in our family would be nice." Her father teased, ruffling her hair.

"Reiji! I do not burn water!"

"The blackened charred lump that used to be a pot says otherwise, Chouko. It was stainless steel too. How do you even _do_ that? You know what, don't answer. Setting it ablaze was even more impressive."

They got Reiko a little chef's hat and set up her own space at the kitchen with utensils just for her size. She didn't waste any time and dove in eagerly, making sure to cook carefully in order not to waste all the high-class ingredients available in their pantry. At first, her father had been wary when Reiko presented him a decent-looking soufflé, but his eyes brightened in pleasant surprise after his first bite.

"Very good, little duchess." He said, chewing slowly. "You added goat's cheese didn't you—why are you looking at me like that?"

"You dialed the medic team on standby, didn't you daddy?" Reiko narrowed her green eyes at the hand that was hidden on his pants pocket. Reiji looked sheepish.

"Your mother could make pleasant-looking food too, but I had to get my stomach pumped when I ate her quiche." Reiji looked green. "I was just making sure. Sorry, Reiko."

Ah… Reiko remembered that time. Her father had been out of commission for a few days. It made Doctor Tiziano go into a snit because apparently, he didn't treat males for some reason. Chouko's switchblade pointed at his manhood made him consider otherwise.

"Understandable, daddy." she nodded.

Reiji chuckled at the adorable picture his daughter made with her black hair in a fishnet bun, a white chef's coat, and a spatula in one hand.

Reiko just smiled at him.

It also said something about Reiji and Chouko's trust in her that that Reiko was allowed inside the family library at age four unsupervised. Currently, she was poring over books as rain pelted the glass windows.

"Have everything you need, m'lady?" the family librarian asked in the silence, passing by the table where Reiko had spread a number of heavy volumes.

"Yes, Miss Lana." Reiko chirped and returned to leafing through the pages. It spoke about gryphons and hydras… Greek mythology then.

"Are you looking at a tome on magic again?" The whole staff knew of her fascination with myths and magic. She went to a row of books and pulled out a slim paperback, tattered and worn. "Here Lady Reiko, this might be interesting to you. It's written in another language so I doubt it'll help, but I found it the other day…"

"Thank you, Miss Lana!" she beamed, taking the copy carefully. "And just call me Reiko! _Reiko_ , Miss Lana."

She laughed, a high tinkling note. "I can't do that, little lady. I don't want to slip in case anyone hears." She stacked some of the books Reiko was finished with in a neat pile. "Be sure not to dirty yourself so much. You're attending your ball at eight and your mother wouldn't want a grimy little girl."

"Yes, Miss Lana." Reiko said, looking at her now dusty pastel pink dress.

Truthfully, Hermione would salivate at the Hollyvale library. It was smaller than Hogwarts library but more organized and well-kept. It occupied a large portion of the west part of the manor, divided into three floors and filled from top to bottom with thousands of books from every genre. The truly ancient books and scrolls were kept in the library basement with good ventilation, and Lana was in their payroll to keep the books in proper order. After all, one of the indicators of wealth was the ability to amass knowledge easily, even if most aristocrats wouldn't even crack open the first page of most of the books they hoarded in their lifetime.

Her parents proved themselves the contrary again. They were well-read, especially her father, who often had a paperback or a small journal with him. He seemed to be the scholarly sort, reading books for enjoyment and for the simple goal of gaining knowledge. Her mother on the other hand, could often be seen perusing large dusty old scripts written in Asian texts that she could somehow decipher, then she would flounce away to god-knows-where and come back with either a large satisfied smile or a thoughtful expression. Her parents kept themselves up to date by ordering and reading new books or journals, and Reiko was impressed with their involvement with the expansion of their library.

For her part, Reiko enjoyed learning at her own pace. Back at her old life, she had to lie-low and let Dudley 'shine' in classes, even if his former cousin's highest description of shine was a D- in every subject. Not doing so would earn her a scowl and a hard whack from Vernon for trying to 'make his son look stupid'. So Reiko learned to keep her talents to herself while at the Dursleys. At Hogwarts, the stress from her death-defying adventures prevented her from focusing on schoolwork as she had more pressing concerns than academics, like keeping herself alive for one.

But now she relished in the freedom to learn anything she wanted.

She flipped the yellowed book Lana gave her. It was crumbling in her hands, the pages flaky and smelled of wooden decay. She looked at the first page and her green eyes widened at the highly familiar etch of runes…

"Futhark runes." Reiko slammed the worn slip of a book on the polished table, greedily taking in the symbols that he knew were Hogwarts-standard for fourth years during Ancient Runes. "Kauno, naudiz, ehwaz, uruz…" Her breath hitched at the painfully familiar rune. " _Sowilo…_ "

She traced it, a jagged lightning outline that meant victory, discovery, disclosure…

Good over evil.

 _Harry's lightning scar…_

The memories came rushing through her mind. Lily Potter's pleas, a high hoarse laugh, a bright flash of green as the killing curse hit its target—

Reiko shook her head and went on.

The rest of the texts were written in a completely foreign script she couldn't even start deciphering. As she traced the letters, Reiko felt her fingers tingle with energy and her breath hitched at the ozone-like smell that her skin emitted… like it was burning…

 _Magic._

This book was magic…

Reiko slammed it close and took the book with her, knees trembling at the rush. She needed to have it translated and she needed all the help she could get.

"Lana!" she cried out at the polished counter. There was no one present so she chimed the bell. "Miss Lana?"

"Miss Lana went out for her break, Lady Reiko." A male assistant appeared from the back office, looking apologetic. "If you need some help—"

"Er…" Reiko hesitated. She wanted to ask the librarian where she got the book, probably find other clues. "I'm just going."

"Alright, m'lady. Just leave your books on the table," the assistant said. "Oh? You're going to bring that along?"

He gestured to the thin paperback Reiko was still holding on tightly. The Kanazuki heiress nodded.

"I'm going to ask mama if she can read it."

"Okay, just tell me when you'll be returning it."

"Will do! And call me Reiko!"

She sprinted out of the library but stopped with a screech when some of the maids looked at her pointedly. With a pout, Reiko straightened herself and began to walk primly just as her mother taught her. The maids giggled.

Her mother was currently in charge of her lessons but they were talking about getting her more tutors soon. It seems that all Chouko wanted to teach her was etiquette and manners. Everything else her mother could teach was a bit dangerous. She needed some height first before she could handle her first gun. She was technically a battle-hardened war veteran already but to everyone, Reiko had clean unsullied hands. Her parents wanted her to stay that way for a while it seems. She was inclined to agree for their sakes.

"Have to bear all the lady things first." Reiko said to herself, entering her mother's training hall.

She heard guns firing and blades skidding against each other, the sound of flesh hitting flesh, wood, and stone…

"Mama," Reiko called from the mirrored safe side of the large training hall. Chouko was sparring with a young Triad member at the combat floor in a show of amazing dexterity. Reiko didn't know that a body could bend that way until her mother proved otherwise.

That was another surprise, actually. Chouko didn't make any effort to hide her 'part-time job' from Reiko and once in a while she would train underworld newbies, introducing them to Reiko as 'mommy's students' or the 'nice young men'. Triad, yakuza, heck even the mafia. Reiko got her conclusion wrong when she thought that her mother belonged to Chinese organized crime because she apparently had her fingers deep in _all of them_.

" _Dolcezza_ ," a man with a five o' clock shadow and a brown fedora tipped his head at her, eyeing some burly yakuza at the side.

"Yo, _ojou-san_!" they called, and Reiko waved back at them.

"M'lady, your mother didn't hear you. Maybe you'd like to try the amplifier?" A woman whom Reiko recognized as one of their maids but also doubled as their secret security, gestured to the sound system at the side of the room.

"Thank you, Hannah." She smiled at her, heading to the microphone and nodding at some other men who passed by her.

 _Vallee de Houx_ Manor was neutral territory and in-fighting was forbidden, which explained why her mother never wanted Reiko out. It was the safest place for her because no one would dare attack someone inside a 'safe house'. How her mother pulled her neutrality off Reiko had no idea. When a brawl broke out between some of the yakuza and triad members a few weeks ago and Reiko was at visual range, her mother had incapacitated each idiot quickly and sent them packing with broken bones and crushed egos.

"Mama?"

Chouko heard her call, perked up, and held her slim hands in a gesture of stop. The young man collapsed in a panting heap, groaning.

"Reiko baby, mommy already told you not to interrupt while I'm tortu—teaching the nice young men." Chouko pouted as she opened the door to the safe zone, making the trainees turn in a whiplash at the sudden switch from bloodthirsty vixen to doting mother.

"Mama, hello. Can you read this?" Reiko asked, offering the slim book up.

Her mother took it with some curiosity. Reiko waited for her by smiling and waving at the guy her mother was beating up earlier. He waved back uncertainly.

"Sorry little duchess but this is written in archaic Latin." Chouko frowned and seemed to be talking more to herself. "Or what I _think_ is archaic Latin. It's difficult to tell. I specialize in Eastern languages, baby."

Reiko knew that but it was still disappointing. "Can daddy read it?"

Chouko looked thoughtful, sweeping her long blue-black hair tied in a ponytail. "Daddy knows a little Latin but not all of it."

"Can I ask daddy then?" Reiko's eyes brightened.

"Of course, Reiko. But if you go to daddy…"

"No problem! I know where he is. Bye, mama." She hugged her legs and skipped out of the training hall without another word.

Reiko had no problem pinpointing her parents when they were within a few distance near her. Her ability to sense the presence of others had bloomed as she grew older. However she couldn't sense regular people, only those with the glowing, 'not-magic' flames within them. They had different feels to them too, like the warmth of belonging righteousness, a cool rainy splash, a sharp spark of lightning…

She had it. Her parents had it. Her mother's underground trainees had it. Some of their staff had it. Her doctor Tiziano had it.

"Lady Reiko." She stiffened and turned.

 _Her father's butler had it._

"Sir Clovis." She greeted, flaring her own orange 'not-magic' to greet his dark, cool 'not-magic'.

Clovis had been a source of frustration for Reiko in her short life. He was an excellent employee and a charming butler but the more Reiko suspected him of having something to do with magic, the more she was convinced that he was here for her somehow. He watched her intently, not in a creepy way but in a curious, calculating manner that reminded her of Kingsley's hawk-like stare. And sometimes he would smile and look at her fondly, indulgently. His bi-polar attitude made Reiko defensive and prickly but that kind of reaction towards him seemed to make him more amused instead.

And he still wouldn't talk to her directly!

He smiled the moment she boldly rose her 'not-magic' at him. "You're looking for your father?"

She nodded stiffly. "Yes."

"He's in his study." The butler gestured to the room at the end of the hall.

"I know," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Clovis's pale blue eyes lingered on the ratty book in her chest. "Ah… I see. Well, of course you'd know. You have sky flames after all, little queen."

Sky flames… She looked at him sharply and gasped.

Just for a moment his face had wavered and instead of an old man, a youthful male stood in front her instead, pale white hair and blood red eyes...

"What do you mean I have sky flames? And why do you call me little queen?" she demanded without an ounce of fear. "You keep on dodging me."

A flicker of a smile crossed his face, the silver lines on his aged illusion lifting. "All in due time, young one."

"I want to know now."

"Impatient." He observed, slightly chastising.

She swallowed and shook her head. "Desperate."

He gazed at her for another moment and hummed. "I see. Then perhaps you'd like to ask the entity who most likely bought you here. Have you never thought of using the gifts given to you, unwilling as you were to receive it?"

Reiko looked at him in confusion and he chuckled.

"Still young. Older, but younger at the same time." He said and Reiko startled at his words.

He knew? He knew about her being… _reborn_?

"Pardon my words, little queen. There's a reason you were bought here and you'll have to find out on your own." Cool, gentle hands pushed her towards the door of her father's study. "Go on. Just as you can sense your parents, they can sense you just as well. Your father knows we've been standing here for a few minutes now."

"That's why they always find me when I'm hiding?" she asked exasperatedly. "The flames thing?"

"And also why they're never worried about letting you wander around the manor." Clovis added, ignoring her quip about flames. "They always know exactly where you are."

He gave her another little push before bowing her way, silvery stands falling around his face, and leaving her alone in the corridor.

Reiko frowned and decided to ponder Clovis's words later because right now she had a book to translate. Knocking the door, she waited politely for permission.

"Come in, little duchess."

Great. Clovis was right. Why she only realized it now was a wonder. Grimacing, she twisted the knob, entered the cool room—

And halted like a deer in headlights.

Eight pairs of eyes studied her with varying expressions of shock, intrigue, and amusement.

Her father was the only one looking amused though.

His guests were men, all wearing impeccable designer suits and seated in front of his father's desk in a semi-circle. They looked older than her father, between late thirties and early forties perhaps. Some of them were clutching shots of whiskey and Reiko saw two of them superstitiously take a long drink at the sight of her. The atmosphere was high-strung and Reiko wanted to bail immediately.

"Are you in a meeting, Papa?" she blurted out, unable to stand their staring. She felt a bout of shyness surge in her.

"Yes, little duchess. But come here." He gestured her forward and she obeyed with some hesitance, darting to her father without actually running after a squeaked out 'excuse me'.

He hauled her up and placed her on his lap, planting a quick kiss on her head before looking at the intimidating men. Reiko pressed herself further into her father's chest when the atmosphere got tenser.

A beat.

"Reiko, these are your uncles!" the happy beaming tone of her father made the others face-fault comically. She couldn't help her snort. She got the notion that they were supremely irritated at the cheery, almost mocking look on Reiji's face.

"Uncles!" a man with silky-looking brown hair sputtered. Reiko stared at his gorgeous waist-length mane enviously. "We didn't even know you even had a child, let alone a daughter, and now you're calling us uncles!"

"Starting from the grumpy-looking one who just said something stupid is Uncle Vincent," Reiji said, blatantly ignoring Vincent-with-the-silky-hair. Reiko could feel everyone's indignation rising and she couldn't even blame them. Her father was such a troll sometimes. "And we have Uncle Tomasino, Xiaosi, Marco, Henry, Luca, aaaand your Uncle Nichol! Gentlemen, my daughter."

A long silence followed Reiji's declaration and he smiled at Reiko with closed eyes and a sparkling face.

"You're acting like grandpapa, daddy."

Several choked sputters followed her words and the rest couldn't help their snort of amusement when Reiji's face fell pathetically. Once they gained their breaths and thumped their chests, Reiko's so-called uncles continued to laugh.

"Like Reitaro of all people, that was _fantastico_ —"

"Reiji, your tyke's a spitfire that's for sure—"

"Kid's got a point though—"

"Little duchess, that was the most grievous insult you could have branded me with." Reiji mourned over refined chuckles and guffaws.

"But she's right." The pale man on their left said with a composed smile. He looked the youngest apart from her father, with his neat black hair tied back low to his nape. Xiaosi, Reiko remembered. "Your daughter definitely has you pegged."

Liquid black pupils ignored Reiji's doleful look, staring at Reiko like she was a fascinating display instead.

Reiko blinked at him. "Uncle Xiaosi is Chinese?"

A flare of interest ignited in his shrewd eyes and Reiko was vaguely reminded of Lucius Malfoy. "Yes, Reiko. I am."

"My godfather is Chinese. _Jiafu_ Yuen."

The Chinese gentleman recoiled back in slight shock and looked at a dejected Reiji like he was out of his mind. "Fon? Yuen Fon? _That_ Yuen Fon is her godfather?"

Fon, huh… Reiko's mother never mentioned his first name.

The Kanazuki patriarch shrugged at the question. "I didn't protest Chouko's choice."

"Whipped," someone coughed.

"Let's just be glad it wasn't one of the more homicidal ones." Xiaosi griped, clutching his shot glass tightly.

"Little _duchessa_ … Reiji called you that, _si_?" Another uncle drawled at Reiko. Tomasino, Reiko reminded herself. He was the bronze-skinned uncle with olive eyes and tousled hair. Reiko didn't doubt those pure Spanish looks of his as he looked like he belonged in a cover of an erotic romance novel. But right now he seem to want nothing more than to take a _siesta_.

Reiko decided to be impish like her father.

" _Si_ , _Tio_ Tomasino."

The dashing uncle in question lost his lazy facade, looking at her with sharp curiosity. " _Hablas español_?"

" _Un poco_. _Mi mádre me enseñó_." Reiko answered promptly.

" _Es bueno_."

" _Gracias_." Reiko showed him her pearly whites.

"Very interesting, Reiji." Tomasino addressed his colleague, smirking with half-lidded eyes. "How old is she again?"

"I'm four." Reiko supplied. There were definitely looks of surprise at her answer.

"Stop blinding them with your brilliance, baby." Reiji said, ignoring them all and swiping his daughter's pink charmeuse. "What's got your dress so dusty?"

"Oh," she said in remembrance, loosening the item still clutched on her chest. "This. Does daddy know Latin?"

Reiji blinked at the book his daughter was shoving at his face. He took it carefully, noting the age and peeling paper, wondering how she got it. "Yes, Reiko. Daddy knows a little Latin. But how did you get this? You're not allowed in the restricted section of the library."

"I didn't go there. Lana gave it to me. It's from there?" Reiko said. _Well isn't that an interesting tidbit…_

"Definitely," Reiji frowned, flipping the pages. "It's old Latin, little duchess."

"Yes, mama said so."

"Old Latin? Barely anyone speaks Latin anymore." Henry, the redheaded uncle said. You're the only weirdo who wanted to learn Latin during college, Reiji. Tetchy thing you were."

"Probably because the professor was a hot cougar and looked ready to tear anyone's eyes out." Nichol chortled in a thick accent. Reiko noted that his black hair almost had a bloody shine to it. "Reiji has a thing for dangerous females, _da_?"

"Say that in front of my wife, I dare you." Reiji said absently. "She'll tear _your_ eyes out. Reiko baby, I can't read this. It's written in words that belong two-hundred feet below the ground."

"That old?"

"Yes little duchess, that old."

"She understands colloquialisms." Xiaosi hummed, making both father and daughter look at him.

"Yes, she's a bright little girl isn't she?" Reiji smiled at them, pressing another kiss to Reiko's temple. The grip he had on her was tighter than usual. Not painful, but tight. Reiko slowly looked at her father, really looked.

His grey eyes were sharp and there was a finely honed edge to his mouth. He looked like he was gearing up for a difficult business deal—

Oh. Reiko's eyes widened, roving her head on every analytical look on the businessmen's faces.

 _Oh…_

So that's what this is all about, huh?

"Eloquent, bright, and interested in subjects beyond her current age range." Marco, who looked the eldest among them, intoned in a gravelly voice.

"Probably a genius too with the way she's glaring at us right now. She understands what's happening." Luca with the ash-blonde hair said. "You've outdone yourself, Reiji."

"I have your support for this?" Her father said in a clipped voice.

"If you continue making the billions you make then yes." Vincent said, his eyes on Reiko's defiant look. "And if your daughter proves to be just as interesting then why not?"

There were general murmurs of assent all around and Reiji relaxed minutely.

"Good to know it's my daughter who convinces you otherwise." He grumbled, jostling Reiko lightly on his knee.

"Well, she's clearly smarter than you are." Xiaosi retorted, taking a sip of his amber drink. "And who wants to go against Yuen Fon's family by choice anyway?"

He shuddered, which made Reiko rose a brow. Was her godfather that scary?

"It's not your daughter who convinced _me_." Vincent sniffed. "It's your net worth. If you'd had stayed in Japan your stocks would have likely crashed and we wouldn't be friends."

"Which would make you sad, obviously." Reiji said mockingly.

"You kidding? I'd throw a party to never get to know you. That stupid intuition of yours is a pain."

"Aw, Vincent. I know you love me."

"Stop batting those eyes of yours. If your wife sees, you're footing my hospital bills."

"I'd pay millions to see you in a gurney." Henry pitched in, smirking.

"We'd point and laugh. And take pictures."

Reiko listened to the gentlemen squabble, still recovering from the success of convincing them to back her father for whatever he was cooking up despite being unprepared by their presence. She recognized some of them now. Luca in particular was Luca Fissolo, an Italian luxury tycoon specializing on real estate back in Harry's world. Apparently he was as luxurious as he was in this world if that suit worth millions was anything to go by. Henry the redhead was Henry Posner and Reiko knew that name in both worlds. Who wouldn't know Hollywood's richest and highest-grossing movie producer?

They were younger than Reiko had ever seen them before in her former world, so they probably didn't have the same prestige they will have in a few years yet. But they were still filthy rich and the others were just as much most likely. She didn't know what her father needed them for but she was glad she could help.

Still, that wasn't what she came here for…

"Papa, you can't help me with this?" she asked, tapping his arm lightly with the book.

Reiji turned his attention to her apologetically, smoothing her long blue-black hair. "I'm sorry little duchess, but no. I'm not that good at Latin in the first place."

"Can I learn?"

He gave her an appraising stare. "You're already learning Mandarin, Spanish and French. And I doubt we'll find anyone good enough to uncover that book."

"You'll need a cryptographer for that." Marco rumbled out.

It was another disappointment, but Reiko subsided. It was to be expected of course. There were Latin experts back in the magical world due to it being the language of most spells, but non-magicals treated Latin as the dead language it was supposed to be.

Everyone jumped when the door opened with a _bang_.

"Excuse me for interrupting your tea time, ladies." Chouko said sweetly, her hair pinned up elaborately. The room gave a collective shudder. "But I have my little debutante to fit her dress into and hundreds of guests about to arrive in a few hours."

"Debutante?"

"It's your daughter's _debut_? You're going to introduce your daughter to our society _now_?"

"I don't know whether I should feel relieved or insulted that we learned about her existence just five hours earlier than everyone else."

"My wife thinks your importance is five hours more than others. You should be honored, Henry."

"Huh. Savage as always, Chouko."

The Kanazuki matriarch ignored all comments and snatched her daughter out of Reiji's lap. Reiko gave a mournful sound at being separated from father and book but Reiji just smiled and tucked the paperback inside his suitcoat, winking.

"I'll leave you girls to your gossiping." She announced, flouncing away with girl child in tow.

Henry leaned back on his seat and poured a generous amount of whisky into his throat. "I still say you're possessed for marrying that woman. Even if she did give you that brilliant girl."

"Funny, Tiziano and Clovis said the same."

"Possessed by _amore_ , perhaps. Tis' the greatest tragedy and miracle that ever exists. But your little girl is _inteligente_ , _si_? She is… how can I say it… _alma vieja_. An old soul." Tomasino said, humming in thought. "Her eyes are deep."

"You saw it?" Reiji asked sharply.

The Spaniard just gave him a significant look and Marco's beard twitched as he added. "Her potential is great. Nurture her wisely. She'll do great things. If you choose her as your heiress then we have no objections. We'll see to it."

There was a silence, until Tomasino chose to break it again.

"Speaking of your _duchessa_ , I have a _principe_ I'd like her to meet—"

" _ **No.**_ "

"Not for a marriage proposal _estupido,_ so sheath those claws. Bah, fine. I'll leave it for later."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Out of topic I know, but I just read the latest chapter of Fairy Tail. How wrecked is that? Mashima and his plot twists are making me dizzy… Anyway.

Reiko and Tomasino's talk went like this:

 **R:** Yes, Uncle Tomasino.

 **T:** You speak Spanish?

 **R:** A little. My mother taught me.

 **T:** It's good.

 **R:** Thank you.

And thank you, google translate. Reiko's debut party is next chapter. Now to those who might ask about Chouko's occupation, yes, she's part of underground. Now, I think for those who know Katekyo! Hitman Reborn, I think the names _Shamal_ and _Fon_ are familiar to you (btw, Shamal's first name and Fon's last name are completely made up by _moi_. Still don't own anything). To those readers who are not familiar with the anime, that's okay. You can vaguely treat them as OCs because they're going to play minor roles in the story. Or if you're curious you might want to google them. They only serve as emphasis on the world Reiko is reborn into anyway. I might make a spin-off from this story to KHR but that's in the future.

And yes, Reiko totally forgot about the pink wand. Her attention span sucks right now since she's only four. Despite having Harry's memories, her body itself isn't wholly mature yet. Remember what Shamal had said? Some areas are advanced, some are the same.

Again dear readers, I'm requesting for your ideas. Some of them I might consider, some I might not. Still, all of those ideas will be helpful in making my plot bunnies become Energizer bunnies, lol.

 **What do you want to see in this story?**

Read and Review.

Memory out!


	4. Belle of the Ball

_ʺTruly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.ʺ – G. Randolf_

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 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, Ouran High School Host Club, or Katekyo Hitman Reborn. They belong to their respective authors.

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 **Author's Note:** Oh good lord. This went beyond my word limit of 8k per chapter, going to 10 instead. This chapter gave me some trouble because of the ideas jumping to and fro, and I hope you guys don't get confused at what's happening. I re-read it and it seems pretty well-ironed compared to the mess it was before I checked it.

By the way, I have a new story posted, **Il Cielo Vibrante** featuring a fem!Harry as Reborn's goddaughter and Dino's wife. A recipe for disaster, I might say lol. Shining Child will be my priority but I will finish both.

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 **Warnings:** AU, reincarnated fem!Harry, bunch of OC's, OOC's, themes from other anime and manga especially KHR

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* * *

 _Vallee de Houx Chateau_  
 _Paris, France_

 _._

"Alright, stay still m'lady."

"We just need to take the organza up an inch—"

"Get her shoes, will you? Yes, yes the one with pale crystals—"

Reiko braved the numerous hands picking, primping, and poking at her as she was glitzed and glittered up for her ball. She now knew how a professional model feels like before ramping up a stage.

Or a show dog. Same thing really.

Her periwinkle blue and lavender ball gown had been flown from her mother's personal seamstress from Switzerland and was made from exquisite spider silk and _vucana_ , laced with silver filigree and crystals. It was pretty, not too showy or dressy for her to move in. But as she smoothed the fabric, Reiko wondered how many innocent forest animals had to die for it.

She had tiny silk gloves in matching blue with lavender ribbons on her wrists. The blue diamond jewelry on her ears and neck were sent by her grandfather as a gift for her fourth birthday months ago and she was extremely nervous at walking around with stones worth millions.

Reiko grimaced. From wearing Dudley's rags to this seemed… Well.

It wasn't bad. Wasn't good either. Just… odd.

Not because of the cute dresses or dolls or playhouses or the mounds of fluffy pink. For some reason Reiko found the switch from boy to girl seamlessly easy and she never experienced the dread or hesitance to put on girly things. Maybe because Reiko hadn't really put much thought on his masculinity as Harry and didn't place any importance in gender due to being preoccupied with more important things, like keeping alive. Or maybe it was because she had appreciation for both sexes as an adult. Or maybe it was because of the gender-switch potion Draco made her drink as a prank where one experienced the joys of womanhood for all of two hours and where Harry realized that aside from different assets, there wasn't really anything weird about being 'Harriet' rather than Harry.

Whatever reason it was, Reiko didn't have any confusion about herself. She was a boy before and she was a girl now. Simple as that.

No, her feeling of oddness was mostly because of the exorbitant amount of wealth she was surrounded by. She still wasn't used to it even after four years and counting. Even when the Potter, Black, and Peverell fortunes were made accessible to her, Reiko had lived frugally. As Harry she had never been comfortable with blatant shows of riches and continued to live in a warded cottage, eat in the Leaky Cauldron and had clothes bought at Madam Malkin's despite being the richest Lord in Great Britain.

But she digress. She couldn't do anything about it right now anyway, since the money was coming out of her mother and father's pockets. Maybe when Reiko got older she could tell them to tone it down but right now, four-year olds shouldn't have this much knowledge about their socio-economical standings in life so Reiko had to play dumb, sit down and look pretty.

" _Tut-tut_. No touching, Lady Reiko. Keep your hands down." One of her mother's flamboyant assistants simpered.

Reiko pouted and dropped the fingers creeping up her head. Her hair felt like it was soldered to her scalp like melted plastic. It was curled and styled in a shiny, intricate knot up her head with a few wavy strands falling artfully down her neck. Reiko liked the tiny blue crystals they pinned on her raven curls though. It made her hair look like they were sparkling stars set on a dark background.

And then she was attacked with bottles of hairsprays.

 _Fffffftttttt!_

"?!"

"So sorry, little one! Did it get in your eyes? Can you close them? Tilt your head backwards—"

 _Ffffftttttt!_

"W-Why are you— _choo_!—spraying that?"

To keep her hair intact, they explained when she sneezed again. At least it was water-soluble, because her nose went runny at the sharp scent. Reiko also inwardly thanked her mother's genes that the black hair she got from her was straight and easily manageable instead of the chaotic mess she had as Harry. It meant less fussing and hairspray up her nose.

Reiko put her foot down at make-up because no way were they going to paint her face at age four. She agreed to a little powder and lip gloss, while her mother managed to sneak in some eye liner that according to her made Reiko's green eyes 'pop'.

"Open wide, baby." A peach slice appeared in front of her face.

"I can eat by myself, Mother." Reiko said politely, taking the fork from her. She called Chouko 'mother' in polite and public settings but called her 'mama' when she was feeling affectionate. It was quite nice to see her mother melt whenever she called her 'mama' instead.

Right now they were surrounded by assistants and other people helping her get ready, so Reiko had to be formal. Chouko was trying to get her to eat a bit before the ball because no doubt she'd be hungry during all the greetings and congratulations and dancing, but Reiko was quite full from all the butterflies in her stomach right now.

"Remove your gloves before eating, little duchess. You might get some syrup in it." Chouko said, handing her independent daughter the small dish of fruit.

"Yes, mother," Reiko slid her silk gloves from her hand, chewing on her fruit and trying not to get in the way of the assistants at the same time.

Once they were done, she stepped out of the tiny platform and sincerely thanked the people who helped her get ready for the occasion. They giggled and gushed, packing their beauty things to dine in a separate soiree her mother arranged for all their helpful workers.

Her mother bustled her out into an empty chamber. Reiko could hear orchestra music coming from the other side of the doors and she gulped, wondering if it was too late to bolt away.

"Wait, just a minute baby. Let me get your father." Chouko said. Her mother was resplendent in an icy blue and black dress, hair pinned up to showcase her pale neck. Reiko nodded, smoothing her gown nervously, glancing as her mother disappeared into the foyer. Only a few minutes until the ball begins…

She heard faint footsteps and Reiko glanced up to see a woman walking towards her general direction, carrying a bouquet of flowers. She was lovely, long wavy blonde hair and pale skin. She looked a little frail though, the weight of the blooms almost overwhelming her. Reiko didn't hesitate, so when the woman made a turn to her right she trotted forward and called.

"Excuse me?" she piped up. "Do you need any help?"

"Oh!" The woman turned and Reiko was mesmerized by her violet eyes. "I'm so sorry. Erm… I'm supposed to deliver this today." The woman took a longer look at her and smiled. "My, you're a lovely girl. What's your name?"

"I'm Reiko. Reiko Kanazuki. It's nice to meet you, Miss…?"

A flash of recognition entered the woman's amethyst eyes and she knelt at Reiko's level. Despite her worry about the tilting flowers, Reiko beamed at her. The reincarnated girl always appreciated adults who talked to her civilly and didn't look down on her like she was a gullible brat.

"You're the little debutante? Congratulations, _cherie._ This is a gift for you, by the way."

She gestured to the flowers in her arms and Reiko smiled at the beautiful arrangement, even though she was still bothered about their weight. When Reiko told her so and asked if she needed help, the woman waved her concern away with a surprised smile on her face.

"It's lovely of you to ask but it's alright. If you'd be so kind to direct me to the sitting room please, princess? I'll leave it there and be on my way."

"You're not attending the ball?" Reiko said with a flash of disappointment. She found the woman fascinating. Reiko still believed her mother was the most beautiful woman in the world but there was something about this frail woman's beauty that contrasted with the Kanazuki matriarch's eastern perfection.

Wavy golden blonde hair, pale peach skin, violet eyes and a figure so dainty that even her feet were elfin. She was like the princess in her mother's stories come to life. Chouko loved to read her those stories because according to her, Reiko should appreciate fantasy too.

' _It seems like one of those princess characters jumped out of mother's storybooks,'_ Reiko thought. She wasn't even like Narcissa, who Reiko believed was a blonde beauty of her own league. The woman in front of her possessed a softness Narcissa lacked, an innocent sort of charm that the cool Malfoy lady couldn't imitate.

"My parents are attending." The woman said, smiling softly. "It was kind of your family to send the invitation. Considering…" She paused, hesitating. "Well, I'm not dressed for the occasion."

She was wearing a pretty green blouse and white skirt. Not appropriate for a ball but…

"My mother can lend you a dress?" Reiko offered tentatively, then flushed. "I hope I didn't come off as rude. But I'd like you to be there."

She really did. Reiko would at least know one adult there. And she was sure her parents would love her new friend…

The woman laughed, a tinkling silvery sound. "Don't worry. I know you're being sincere. Yet I have to decline. I haven't been to many parties anymore since…" she paused again and her smile became feeble. "Since things happened."

A heavy-set woman appeared, babbling in heavy French that Reiko had trouble translating. She took the bouquet from the violet-eyed woman who was now looking thoughtful, nodding at what the other woman was saying.

Reiko tried to interpret, unused at hearing the thick French provincial accent. What she got was that the other woman was a maid, and she was tasked to deliver the flowers instead? And there was someone visiting… home?

 _Flew over from_ … _attend to_ … _your parents…son…_

"… _oui, mon fils est en attente_ — Oh dear, I'm sorry for ignoring you. Here," The woman glanced at Reiko guiltily, plucking a lovely bluish-white rose from the bouquet and handed it to her. "A pretty flower for a pretty little girl. It matches your lovely gown."

"Thank you," Reiko smiled as she accepted the thornless stem, feeling the nervousness she carried all day disappear. There was something about the woman's smile that made her feel at ease. "I feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad." The woman answered, violet eyes brightening further. "I'm afraid I have to leave, though. It was nice meeting you."

"You're leaving now?" Reiko's smile faded. "You said something about your son…"

She trailed off. She wanted to ask if her son could come to the party but if his own mother wasn't attending, it was unlikely that he could. Reiko haven't met any children her age yet and being surrounded by adults could get so tiring sometimes…

A pale hand enveloped hers and Reiko looked up to see the woman with a soft knowing look on her face.

"You're a good girl." She said, standing up and patting Reiko's head gently. "I'm sure my son would love to meet you someday. But right now you have an important event to attend, and you're the belle of the ball, _oui_? So chin up and smile. I know we'll meet again, princess."

With those words, she stepped back and beamed at Reiko, giving her a playful curtsy. The two women walked away, waving at her before disappearing from view.

The reincarnated girl frowned in disappointment and stared at the beautiful rose in her hand. She didn't even get a name…

"Reiko?" her mother's voice said behind her, and she turned to see both her parents in their splendor. "What do you have there? Oh, that's a wonderful rose!"

Reiko blinked, inspecting the blending white and blue on the flower before handing it to her father. "You can pin it in your lapel, father. We're all wearing blue."

Reiji accepted the lovely blue rose with a smile. "Alright, little duchess. Thank you."

Chouko held Reiji's bicep, holding out a hand for Reiko to grip. She had refused to be carried, choosing to walk with her parents instead.

"Ready, baby?"

Reiko swallowed at her mother's inquiry. Her father gave her a reassuring smile and she nodded, willing the butterflies in her stomach to go away again.

"Then let's get this show running," Her mother declared as they waltzed inside the ballroom amidst the loud announcement of their entrance and the subdued murmurs of hundreds of guests.

* * *

The heavenly music of the live orchestra floated through the brightly lit ballroom. The luxurious hall was filled with glittering chandeliers, sparkling fountains of wine, luxurious draperies and carpets. Attendants and waiters flitted through the richly dressed elite of society, who were laughing and conversing in low tones.

Reiko curtsied another well-to-do entrepreneur, smile in place. Her parents stood behind her, staring at her flawless execution.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir Williams." Reiko said, directing confident green eyes at her guest. "Thank you for attending the ball and I do hope you are enjoying yourself."

"What a well-mannered girl you've raised, Reiji." the businessman enthused, smiling at what Reiko believed was supposed to look like a fatherly look. "Why, she's so charming! I've got twin daughters m'dear, and a son who'd love to meet you—"

And on it went. The man in front of Reiko was the twenty-fifth offer of a playdate or a meeting with children her age. The ball had indeed opened her up to society as the guests surrounded her and her parents to make connections and proposals both the business and personal kind.

It was stressful yet fun. The moment they were introduced as ' _Lord Reiji and Lady Chouko Kanazuki accompanied by their daughter and heiress Miss Reiko Kanazuki_ ', she swore she saw a few bug-eyed, gaping people. Some of them adapted a calculating look instead, as if mentally computing how fast they could offer marriage contracts to Reiko without her parents erupting into a fury. She also saw some disappointed women throwing surly looks at her mother and turning sappy besotted eyes at Reiji, and Reiko made sure to reserve her frostiest smiles to them.

Reiko danced with her father. That was the fun part. Well, it was more like he carried Reiko's giggling self as he waltzed around the ballroom, pressing kisses on her cheeks or throwing her lightly in the air. She enjoyed it a lot, cheeks flushed with glee and tiny body wracked with laughter. She heard more than one wistful sigh as the women stared at her father's dashing looks, and Reiko sniffed and narrowed her eyes at them. Reiji caught her glares and he laughed at her pout.

Her mother and father dancing was a sight in itself. They looked like they were floating on thin air, completely synchronized with their movements and if Reiko didn't know any better she'd say they were reading each other's minds.

The moment the dancing was finished however, the little family was encircled by a crowd giving their predicted congratulations, well-wishes and exclamations of ' _you've-got-a-daughter_?' and ' _your-heiress-is-a-delight_ '.

"—she's currently home tutored, but education is important—"

"—we can schedule a meeting once the ball is over, hm? My secretary—"

"—as for now, relax and let's just dance through the night—"

Reiko sighed inwardly and steeled herself for the part of the night she dreaded.

 _Here goes…_

* * *

After almost an hour of the same conversations, Reiko slipped away from her parents and the surrounding people, intent on getting some fresh air. It was too stifling for her already. Compared to her though, her father and mother's smiles still looked genuine and poised, every inch the perfect hosts.

Reiko smiled wryly at their impeccable facade. She wasn't as adept as her parents were in these situations. Granted, she was only four so Reiko still had a lot of practice to go, but if she had to stay around these pandering biddies a second longer she might lose her composure and end up scowling at everybody, ruining all her effort.

Her father gave a small nod before she disappeared, indicating that they were aware of her actions. She shrugged mentally as she darted between people. Other people wouldn't even dream of letting their four-year old out of sight but Reiko knew that her parents wouldn't let her go alone if there was the slightest hint of danger. And besides, she was aware that her every move was being tracked. Some of the guests were her father's security and her mother's illegal group in disguise. She snorted at the irony of both teams working together.

Reiko maneuvered herself into the dining area connected to the ballroom where she knew there'd be less people and more food. Sure enough, their antique mahogany tables were covered in ivory tablecloths and filled to the brim with decadent sweets and delicate finger foods. There were less socializing going on, no businessmen in sight and more of older women picking on pastries, commenting on their weights and bemoaning their diets. Reiko inwardly cheered and was about to dash for the nearest table of eclairs when a figure caught her eye.

It was a boy probably a few years older than her. He had silky mahogany hair that went past his shoulders and clear blue eyes the color of the brightest sapphires. He looked angelic, with an angular nose and pale-peach complexion. He was wearing a luxurious white suit that was perfectly unwrinkled, complete with a blue bow tie. The thing that caught Reiko's attention however, was that he had his chest puffed out in a funny way for some reason.

Before she knew what she was doing, her legs were making a detour towards the blue-eyed boy, curious as to why he looked ready to beat his ribs like a gorilla. And she was also excited. Despite the numerous mentions of meeting children her age, she hadn't seen one all evening. This was her chance to make a friend.

The boy noticed her approaching and gave her a disinterested look. Reiko wasn't to be deterred though.

"Hello!" she chirped out, hoping to sound friendly.

He didn't answer so she decided to get an explosive reaction instead.

"What are you puffing your chest up for?" Reiko noted. "You look like a peacock."

Sure enough, he made a noise of protest, flaring annoyed blue eyes at her. "No, I don't. I look dignified and important to everyone."

Reiko looked at the surrounding adults and smirked at the cooing, matronly stares directed at them both. "I think you're just making everyone want to cuddle you and stuff you with sweets."

The boy looked up sharply and frowned when he saw the stares. "This is how father does it. I think."

Reiko rolled her eyes. "I bet he doesn't look like an inflated balloon."

"I don't look like an inflated balloon, take that back!"

"I will, if you wheeze the air out of you." It looked like he was in a great struggle puffing air in anyway. His cheeks were rosy with all the effort.

He made a deflating sound as he flattened his chest. "The maids said I looked handsome."

Reiko made a sympathetic noise. "They most likely wanted to be nice and not hurt your feelings."

The boy looked like he wanted to protest, but hesitated and sighed. "You're probably right."

"Why do you want to look like you huffed a tank of helium, anyway?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

He gave her an odd look. "I want to be a businessman when I grow up, like father."

Reiko giggled and pulled him to a chair near the table laden with sweets and refreshments. He dutifully sat down and accepted the sparkly drink she offered, fixing the blue tie on his collar. Reiko smiled at the lack of protest. She may have just made her first friend.

"You know most boys would want to be a superhero or a firefighter at your age. Not a businessman." She said conversationally, taking a bite of cherry tart.

"I'm not like most boys my age." He said in a supremely snotty tone that amused Reiko instead of annoying her. He reminded her of a fun-sized version of Draco.

"You're obviously not." She patted his head in condensation. Or tried to anyway, since he was taller than her. He preened and accepted her attempt to pat, which she counted as a win.

"How about you, what do you want to be?" He shot back at her, taking a sip of the sparkly drink and scrunching his nose at the sweet taste.

"A witch." Reiko answered promptly, waving her hands. "Or wizard. Wizard sounds cooler."

"Only boys can be wizards." He protested, pushing his drink away and reaching for a platter of caprese salad.

"I know. But I could be. Or I was. " Reiko nodded her head seriously, gaining a look of confusion.

"You know, most girls would want to be a princess or a fairy or something just as girly." He said with slight disdain in his voice. Reiko guessed he was still in that ' _girls are icky_ ' stage.

She laughed. "I guess I'm not like most little girls either."

He gave her a slight smile which disappeared when she beamed at him in return. His cheeks went back to its ruddy color. Reiko just laughed and nibbled on a sweet crepe, observing him more closely. He was well-worded and had good diction, so he was probably very smart. But the chest-puffing earlier made her think that he still had some childish side to him.

The boy looked at her thoughtfully, biting on a cherry tomato. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?" Reiko shot back.

He rose a brow at her. "I asked first."

"It's society manners that insists that gentlemen should introduce themselves first." Reiko said primly, hiding her mouth with a napkin like some demure trophy wife.

His lips twitched. "It's Emilien."

"Emilien." She nodded happily. "I'm Reiko."

He blinked at her, looking up and down her small figure. "So _you're_ what all this fuss is about."

"Why, what about me?"

Emilien waved a hand at the adults. "They keep on saying your name. ' _The Lady Reiko is such a well-mannered child. The Lady Reiko is such an asset to her mother and father. The Lady Reiko—_ "

"—has been missing for a while," an amused voice interrupted. "And her mother has been looking for her."

"Mother!" Reiko beamed, looking up from where Chouko was flickering hazel eyes between her and Emilien. "Mother, I made a friend!"

"So I see…" Chouko said, ruby red lips lifting. "Hello, Emilien."

The blue-eyed boy nodded stiffly at the way the unknown woman addressed him so familiarly. "Hello, ma'am. Do I know you?"

"My, how bold!" the Kanazuki matriarch laughed. "Come along, both of you. Let's introduce ourselves properly."

Reiko took her mother's slim hands and reached her own hand out to Emilien, brows raised. She didn't notice the way her mother froze at her side, expression tense.

After a careful look, the boy took her proffered hand, the tips of his ears red. Reiko felt something flare inside her in pleasure the moment he placed his palm in hers, and she couldn't help the wide grin she directed at Emilien. He looked away in embarrassment, glaring at nothing in particular.

They moved around the ballroom, giving out a few greetings and courtesies and smiles. Reiko didn't let go of Emilien lest he got lost in this sea of people, holding his cool hand tightly in hers. She figured she didn't want to let go anyway, feeling some sort of comfort at having Emilien at her side. The boy in question continued to give her puzzled glances, which she would answer with a look of ' _what_?' of her own. Emilien would shrug and look away, and Reiko would catch him looking at her weirdly again after a few seconds.

She noticed that the ball was dying down, the lights dimmed and the orchestra playing slower pieces of music compared to the livelier melodies earlier. People were now converging in small groups to talk or watched the few figures waltzing on the dance floor.

"Where are we going, mother?" Reiko asked her mother tentatively, Emilien still by her side.

"To your father, little duchess." Chouko's mouth curved into a smile. "And do stop sending me those adorably suspicious looks, Emilien dear. You look like you're a second away from kidnapping my own daughter from me. I'm your Aunt Chouko, or Aunt Cho, as Adeline not doubt introduced me as."

Judging by the way he tripped at thin air, Emilien _did_ recognize her now. Reiko giggled.

They climbed up the second floor antechamber, where her father and his posse of friends were overlooking the hubbub of the ballroom with crystal decanters and shot glasses. A few beautiful women were also present, and Reiko guessed that they were the uncles' wives.

One in particular caught Reiko's attention due to her startling similarity to the boy whose hand she was holding. She was a classic French beauty with short blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes. Reiko flashed a startled look at the man beside her, Uncle Vincent-with-the-luscious-brown-mane, and shot another glance the same silky color that Emilien's hair possessed.

"Here they are! I found them together already." Chouko said, exchanging a pointed glance with Uncle Vincent and his wife. They had astonished looks on their faces, their eyes pinned at the hand Reiko was holding. Emilien flushed darker and pulled away, looking more embarrassed when Reiko just looked at him blankly.

"Father, mother." He greeted stiffly when they approached.

"Emilien. You might want to introduce your companion to us?" Uncle Vincent said with an odd tone in his voice.

Reiko rose a brow. Uncle Vincent knew very well who she was so what was up with the weird looks? Did they not want her to be friends with their son?

"Of course." Emilien did a short bow at his father direction and gestured at the tiny debutante. "This is Lady Reiko. She had proved to be a good conversationalist in the short time we made an acquaintance. Lady Reiko, my parents _Marquis_ Vincent and _Marchioness_ Adeline."

Reiko rose her other brow at that. Marquis, huh? A legitimate royal position or just a title? From what she remembered from history, France had guillotined their nobles like crazy. And _Conversationalist? Acquaintance?_ Where was the little bloke pulling all these fancy words?

Well two can play at that game.

She gave them her prettiest smile and curtsied perfectly. "My warmest greetings, _Marquis_ Vincent, _Marchioness_ Adeline. A pleasure to meet the parents of such an exemplary boy such as your son. He does much credit to your name."

Emilien was looking at her weirdly again. His parents now looked supremely amused, if the slow smirk from Uncle Vincent and the grin from the Marchioness was anything to go by.

"Oh, I love her already Chouko! She's grown up marvelously." she exclaimed and bent down to Reiko's height, kissing both cheeks. She had a strong French accent and smelled like blooming _fleur de lune_. "Call me Aunt Adeline dear or just Aunt Adie. You've earned it a million times over. What with Emilien… well. Let's just say my little boy is selective when it comes to everything."

"Mother!" Emilien exclaimed, looking scandalized.

"Oh hush, darling. You know it's true." Aunt Adeline stared at Reiko with a beaming smile. "I'm also your mother's best friend, so don't be afraid to approach me for anything!"

"Best friend?" the woman beside Uncle Luca said. She had blood-red hair tied in a chignon.

"Debatable, Adeline." Another woman chimed in, raising a brow in challenge.

"Chouko made me godmother, I win." Aunt Adeline replied, waggling a finger at them.

Reiko blinked at her in surprise. Godmother?

Chouko snorted. "I was heavily sedated that time, but I distinctly remember making no such decision. In fact, you people drew lots."

"And I won!" Aunt Adeline declared, looking more like a bouncing pixie than a lady of French elite society.

"Being my baby's godmother due to luck doesn't give you points. And you only drew lots because you would have started a bloodbath in the delivery room."

"We would, wouldn't we?" her supposed godmother looked thoughtful and Reiko shuddered at the disturbingly bright smile she had.

Reiko was introduced to her other 'aunts'. Some of them were her mother's personal friends and others were wives to her uncles. A few of them were both, like Aunt Adeline. Emilien stood to the side in boredom, having been introduced to them long before apparently.

Much to Reiko's satisfaction, all of her new 'aunts' look shrewd and composed, not at all air-headed like some of the women Reiko met down below. In fact… She discretely glanced back at the first floor of the ballroom. Some guests were staring at them, with longing, envy, distrust… Oh.

Reiko craned her head back to present company, where her uncles held court around her father while her mother discussed something with the ladies. Her parents' warm amber 'not-magic' flames were muted and Reiko got the distinct sense that they were humming in delighted satisfaction at the way the others were converged around them.

Reiko tilted her head. This kind of structure… Was she in the presence of an alliance?

And were her parents the _rallying point_?

She had an alliance as well, back as a lord of the Wizengamot. It was out of necessity instead of a true desire to get into politics, because the Neutral and Light political blocks of the Wizangamot was practically torn down during Voldemort's reign of terror and it had to be built up from scratch. But it was also a delicate balance to restore it because Harry had to court some of the more powerful Light and Neutral wizards who wanted to do away with the Dark block immediately as revenge for reigning supreme during the Dark Lord's short time in power. To do away with a whole block was unheard of. War or not, the three blocks of the Wizengamot made a good if archaic system because one block could never overwhelm another due to the last block tipping the scales either way. And besides, they represented all three cores that a wizard could possess. Light, Gray, and Dark. To remove their representing block was just unfair to the people with Dark cores.

Reiko, still known as Lord Hadrian Potter before, had built an alliance with Lord Longbottom and Lord Malfoy, a trinity of Houses that outraged the older members of the wizarding court because of the different blocks the Houses belonged to. One would think that since House Potter was responsible for the downfall of the recent Dark Lord, its current head would be Light-aligned. Imagine everyone's shock when Harry decided to remain firmly in the Neutral block, prompting House Longbottom to lead the Light-aligned block and House Malfoy to be in the Dark-aligned sector predictably. The reason given was since the Lord of House Potter, which was primarily Light-aligned, was also Lord of House Black and House Peverell respectively (the first being dark and the second being neutral-aligned), it would be more practical to stay in the neutral block without conflicts with either sides or houses. Since Harry headed a House from each party, it was better to stay in the neutral side because they tended to be less fanatical and more open.

They had made a great alliance because Harry, Neville, and Draco debated, insulted and jabbed at each other's mothers on wizarding court and would invite each other to grab a pint at the pub afterwards. No personal vendettas, family feuds, or deep seated issues. Harry and Neville trusted each other well-enough to keep politics and business apart from family and Draco learned to never repeat his father's mistakes.

That was why, staring at her parents' own supposed alliances, Reiko thought that this had the makings of either something great or disastrous depending on the people involved. You just didn't give yourself to an alliance. There were contracts, provisions, and loss of certain freedom to do things since being in a party of two or more restricts the amount of choices that can be done if alone.

But the benefits that could be reaped… Oh, the possibilities were endless.

"What're you staring at, little duchess?" Her mother peeked at her.

Reiko dissolved her calculating look into an expression of innocence. But her mother smirked at her, making her think that she hadn't wiped her look fast enough. Reiko turned to Aunt Adeline instead, who was lecturing her son.

"—haven't seen you this animated since… well, _ever_. Now would you rather spend time with your adorable new friend or…"

She trailed off with a significant look and Emilien looked away, mumbling.

"With words, _ma petite_ _étincelle_. Unless you want another elocution lesson…" The threat was hanging in the air.

"I want to stay." Was the quiet yet audible mutter from Emilien.

The completely satisfied look on his mother's face told Reiko that she was missing something important here. But before she could open her mouth she was lifted by her father and ushered inside a sitting room with Emilien to 'freshen up'. Her mother and Aunt Adie left kisses on their faces and the adults shut the door behind them firmly, leaving both children inside.

"I thought this was _my_ party." Reiko told the closed door, not that she was really upset about it. She faced Emilien, who looked decidedly grumpy. "And what was that all about?"

"Nothing," the blue-eyed boy said in defense.

"…noisy."

They both turned to look at source of the new voice and was greeted to the sight of another boy sprawled on a sofa, looking quite put out at them. He had curly dark brown hair and olive eyes, dark blue suit slightly rumpled. Unlike Emilien, Reiko didn't take long to figure out who he was.

"You're Uncle Tomasino's son, aren't you?" He had the same careless type of prettiness as his father, and the same look of lazy contentment as well. He looked about Emilien's age. Reiko grinned at him, eager to meet another possible friend.

He directed sleepy eyes at her, humming. "Can I leave now?"

For some reason, his comment amused Reiko just like Emilien's words did earlier.

Emilien rose a brow at the boy's direction, crossing his arms. "If I can't leave, what makes you think you can?"

The boy's hazy eyes went to him. "Emilien."

"Good, you remember me." The brunette nodded in satisfaction.

"Hard not to, with that attitude of yours."

"Why, you—" Emilien looked ready to erupt, but one look at Reiko made him subside and he gritted his teeth, calming down with obvious effort. "Reiko, this is Matteo Castille. Matteo, the Lady Reiko."

But the aforementioned Matteo was already turning on his side, going back to sleep. Emilien stewed in indignation and Reiko cocked her head curiously at the dozing boy.

 _There was something about him…_

"Come on, let's leave him alone." Emilien pushed her gently to the side and Reiko realized he was maneuvering her to the seats at the far end of the room.

"Why are we sitting there? There's plenty of space near Matteo." She pointed out, digging her heels.

"I'd rather not mingle with him. He doesn't like people." Emilien said, still pushing her. He was older than her so he was more successful at moving her, darn.

"I don't dislike people. I just loathe the general majority." Came the sleepy mumble. It had an irritated tinge in it. "Just like you, Emilien."

Emilien bristled like an angry cat and Reiko rolled her eyes. Not even into puberty and they're acting like offended gorillas. She grabbed Emilien's hand and pulled her towards Matteo. The surprise at the sudden motion enabled her to drag the older boy to the couch where Matteo was sleeping.

"Hi! I'm Reiko." She introduced at the blinking, hazy eyes staring at her. A few moments later he lifted his head.

"Smell…" His nose was twitching at the general air around her, looking more alert.

She blinked, sniffing her curled hair. "I smell?"

Emilien rolled his eyes. "No you don't. That's Matteo-speak for you smell good." He lightly shoved the sprawled boy to make space for the two of them in the couch. Matteo grunted but acquiesced, pulling his legs away.

"I do?" Reiko blinked. "I smell like orange blossoms. I think."

Her godfather Fon sent her a gift along with a letter of congratulations at her debut. Reiko was pretty bad at writing Mandarin Chinese because her hands were still a bit shaky on the different character strokes, but she did her best to relay her thanks because she liked the bottle of perfume he sent.

Emilien sniffed her as well, although less invasive than how Matteo did it.

"Citrus. Well, that explains it." the blue-eyed boy said. At her look of confusion, he added. "Matteo's family is into produce. All kinds of fruits and teas and vegetables. Wine, coffee, fruit, you name it."

"What does that have anything to do with how I smell?"

"Smell nice…" was the mumble.

Reiko yelped when she was tugged forwards. The next thing she knew she was being used as a teddy bear, squeezed between the sofa and a sleeping boy.

"Matteo!" Emilien sounded greatly indignant. "You do not accost little girls! No matter how nice they smell!"

He sounded so absurd and pompous that Reiko couldn't help the burst of laughter on her lips. But he was right in a way. If a strange grown man complimented her scent and tried to use her for cuddles, Reiko would've kicked them where the sun don't shine. But this was a strange sleepy boy instead and Reiko wasn't a shy clueless child, so she felt more indulgent than angry.

"Any girl your age would be yelling by now." Emilien told her over her laughter.

"I told you I'm not a normal girl, right?" Reiko retorted, rubbing Matteo's curly hair. Contrary to how it looked, it was supremely soft, the stiff-looking strands easily parting beneath her fingers like velvet. The Spanish boy made a contented 'wuffing' sound, leaning in her hands. Like a puppy. She snorted, looking between Matteo and Emilien. A lazy puppy and a bristling cat.

"I think I have pets instead of friends now. I'd love to have my own puppy." Reiko declared, pinching Matteo's cheek. He squinted one olive eye open at her. "Now, what's with the smelling thing?"

Emilien grumped and sat beside them elegantly, back straight and legs crossed like a little lord. "Like I said, the Castilles own several of the finest orchards and plantations in the world. They're involved in food production of the earthen kind— fruits, vegetables, and other flowering edibles. They're particularly known for the most luxurious wines, the richest coffee beans, and some of the rarest tea leaves."

He sounded like an infomercial. Or a droning record.

"At least that explains why Father likes Uncle Tomasino." Reiko said dryly. "He spends a fortune on our wine cellar and Mother could substitute water for tea. She drinks a ton of the stuff. But that doesn't explain why Matteo's sniffing me."

"Yes, I'm getting on to it. The Castilles have sharp senses that help their businesses. Matteo's father is one of the best sommelier in the world." Emilien stated, pausing and looking at her in question.

"Wine-taster, got it." Reiko said, nodding.

Emilien looked pleased. "Matteo's older brother has a keen eye in picking out good produce. He could spend hours looking for the best fruits."

"Never go to market with Matteo's brother, got it." Reiko quipped, making Matteo quirk a smirk despite his closed eyes. "And Matteo's got a good nose? Because of the smelling. That must be torture for you then, if something is too heavy or pungent."

"I… never thought of it that way." Emilien said slowly, scrutinizing the Castille scion in a new light. "Is that why you don't like spending time with people too much?"

Matteo shifted and opened his eyes, looking at Emilien owlishly.

"You two are awfully close, aren't you? You knew what Matteo was talking about when he said I smell and you're looking quite concerned for him right now." Reiko said lightly.

That earned her a sputter of denial from Emilien and a narrowed look from the olive-eyed boy. Reiko snickered and got up from her leaning position from Matteo's side, making the boy pout.

"Dhaw, you're just a little cuddlebug, aren't you?" she cooed. "Like a puppy."

She propped his head on her lap, using her fluffy dress as a pillow (it was soft enough to be one) and continued petting him. She could almost see the metaphorical puppy ears and tail wagging in contentment. Reiko's cheeks flushed and she fought the urge to squeal. He was like her little Teddy when it was the full moon! Her little godson didn't transform into a werewolf but would pop out these adorable fuzzy wolf ears and tails, demanding hugs and cuddles from his 'pack' as he howled at the moon with a high-pitched ' _aroooo_ '.

Emilien's eye twitched at the disgustingly adorable sight while Reiko just beamed in contentment, her mind going back to those nights of full moons, mugs of hot chocolate, and general cuddling beneath the blankets with Teddy, Andromeda, and a toddler Victoire…

"How about you, Emilien? Any siblings?" she said after a few minutes of silence and eye-twitchings.

"None. I am an only child and it seems to be staying that way." Emilien said, crossing his arms. "Why do you ask?"

"I just thought it would be nice to have more friends other than the two of you." Reiko said. "I'm an only child too."

And if her mother was still having difficulty having children, Reiko wouldn't have any adorable siblings calling her 'big sister' any time soon.

"We're friends?" Came the muffled question from Matteo, who had his eyes fully open for some time now.

"Of course!" Reiko said, then realized that it was probably too forward of her. "Unless you don't want to?"

"Presumptuous," Emilien muttered, but Matteo just blinked at her and closed his eyes again. Reiko smiled at the differences of their ' _yes_ '. "If you're really desperate for more friends, you might want to call on Matteo's demonic sister."

"You have a sister?" Reiko asked when Matteo didn't seemed inclined to defend himself or his sister.

"Yes." He muttered warily. "Half-sister. From my father's side."

"Does she have a special sense to help in your business too?"

Both boys snorted.

"Unless you count her ability to scream in glass-shattering decibels as a special sense, then no." Matteo drawled. It was the longest sentence Reiko got out of him yet.

"Or her ability to hit targets from a distance away. Like how she pelts us with that stun gun of hers whenever she's angry." Emilien put in.

"She could probably use it for knocking fruits out of our trees."

"Don't give her ideas to sharpen her aim."

"Won't."

Reiko hid her grin. They really did get along well despite protests. "So when can I meet her? She sounds nice."

Both boys looked at her like she was out of her mind.

Emilien was quick to deter her. "She's definitely not nice. She's a terror. She pokes us with a stick! She's bratty, a nightmare, and _young_. Like, four years old. You wouldn't want to meet someone _that_ young."

Reiko blinked at him slowly. "Emilien, _I'm_ four."

There was a silence, then both of them scrambled up to look at her. Reiko pouted at the loss of her cuddly puppy.

"What?" She was confused at the flabbergasted expressions on their faces.

"You're _four_?" Emilien sounded downright indignant.

"Er…yes?"

"You don't _act_ four."

"Haven't we established that I'm different from other little girls?" Reiko harrumphed.

They were giving her odd looks again.

"We thought you were… older than that."

"Emilien, you're more than a head taller than me. I barely reach your chest. Doesn't that give you a clue that I'm younger?" She pointed out. How old were they, anyway?

"I thought you were just a midget." Emilien said in chagrin.

Reiko cried out at the injustice. Midget! She was four, she was allowed to be this short!

She whirled at Matteo. "And you! What's with the shock?"

"I was more surprised at the fact that sir-high-in-his-pedestal was actually mingling with someone. Willingly." Matteo drawled. "That made me think you were old enough for him to think you worthy of his attention."

Reiko blinked. "He's that snobby."

"Yes."

"Oi!"

"Well, how old are the two of you anyway?" she frowned.

Emilien gave her a dry look. "We're both eight."

"Oh." Reiko blinked. Half her age then…

"Yes, oh." Emilien sounded amused now. "And the only younger kid we have constant exposure with is Castille's terror of a sister."

"My sister is my measuring stick for younger kids." Matteo shrugged unrepentantly. "Ergo, they're terrors."

"She's not a good measuring stick, then." Reiko told him.

"No, not very much." He looked at her like she was an amusing joke.

"You're awfully chatty, Matteo." Emilien said suddenly, narrowing his eyes at the other boy.

"And you're—" The other boy blinked, expression going hazy. "You're…"

His eyes began to droop, shoulders slumping, and to Reiko's alarm he toppled into the carpet in a dead faint.

"Matteo!"

"Leave him alone," Emilien looked unconcerned, taking Matteo's unoccupied space in the couch for himself. "He does that sometimes."

"What?" Reiko stared at him in panic. "He just fainted! He might need medical help!"

"He's just asleep. He'll wake up soon." Emilien shrugged. "Like I said, he does that sometimes."

"He's narcoleptic?!" Reiko said in alarm. Sleeping disorders gave her a bit of a fright due to how she died in her past life. She admitted that she had trouble sleeping sometimes because she was afraid she'd never wake up and see her parents again.

Emilien stared at her. "Yes he is. You know, I only knew the meaning of that word a few months ago from my mother. It's surprising that you know what it means."

He continued to stare at her and Reiko's heart skipped a beat as she realized her mistake. As she realized just why Emilien and his parents and the narcoleptic boy snoozing on the carpet kept giving her scrutinizing glances all evening.

Had she been too enthusiastic at the thought of a friend that she was showing too much intelligence? Was she being too knowledgeable for a four-year old? Emilien didn't even know what narcoleptic means, so was Reiko being too… _abnormal_?

' _My sister is my measuring stick for younger kids.'_

' _Not a very good measuring stick then.'_

' _No, not very much.'_

She called Matteo's sister a poor measuring stick. But what if… what if Matteo's sister was a perfectly normal four-year old and it was _Reiko_ who was weird instead? Oh, sure she wanted to stand out but Reiko didn't really have a proper comparison of other children, having no one her age to mingle with in the manor, so what did that say about her own development?

Didn't she forget to walk and talk? Didn't her parents take her to Tiziano because they thought she wasn't developing properly? Weren't they worried again when she showed too much intelligence that her father had to take her back to be examined? Reiko didn't know anything about the milestones of children, so she had no idea what she had to show or do as she grew up. She just assumed that since she wanted to be a child genius and not be a clueless giggling girl, that she should just show the world what she was capable, not thinking about the repercussions.

And now here she was, talking to two intelligent nine-year olds and not only was she keeping up with their discussion, but she was also deemed mature enough to mingle with them. Mature enough for them to assume that she was their age, and for them to be shocked that she wasn't a tantrum-throwing, princess-loving, bratty four-year old like Matteo's normal sister was.

Was it too weird? What should she do?

"Reiko? Snap out of it!"

She felt a sharp sting on her cheek and she toppled on her back, looking up at Emilien who had a shell-shocked expression on his face, hand still held aloft where he slapped her.

"You were breathing heavily," he said grimly, dropping his arm.

Reiko realized that she had been hyperventilating, the edges of her sight dimming, her heart thudding on her ribcage. Taking deep, shuddering breaths, she tried to keep it in as her eyes watered involuntarily.

"S-sorry. I…I…" she hiccupped.

Emilien looked bewildered and more than a little panicked. Reiko thought that anyone caught between a hysterical little girl and a narcoleptic boy would react in a similar way and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her throat.

"S-sorry." She said again, bending her knees to her chin. It helped her calm down a little bit, even if all the fabric on her dress made her nose tickle.

"It's fine." Emilien replied gruffly. He hesitated, then he lifted his hand and tried to rub her back in a slightly awkward manner.

Matteo's snores broke the uncomfortable silence and Reiko quirked a small smile at the trail of drool she could spy from his mouth. The funny sight eased her chest a bit.

"He's going to get a back ache sleeping like that. We should get him cozy." She declared when her breathing evened out. Emilien was quiet but he readily lifted the snoozing boy and propped him to the sofa, Reiko fluffing a pillow for Matteo and placing it under his head.

"Reiko? Some of your guests are leaving." Her mother entered the room. Sharp, hazel eyes widened at Reiko's blotchy face. "Little duchess, what's wrong?! Why are you crying?!"

Chouko sounded enraged and the look on her face indicated that she was ready to face even the hounds of hell if they were the reason Reiko was upset. She couldn't fault her mother for looking so startled. She couldn't remember the last time she cried. She rarely did after she turned five months and gained consciousness, only doing it to release stress from her baby body. So her mother's alarm was to be expected.

Emilien tugged her gown and Reiko realized that her mother had been honing on him with blazing, almost amber eyes. The boy was rightly terrified, hairs standing on end.

"Mother, no. It's not Emilien. He's my friend." She rubbed her eyes with one hand and squeezed Emilien's shoulder in comfort with the other. "I… I just… got an epiphany."

"What is it, baby?" Chouko said softly, striding towards her and kneeling to her face level. Emilien tensed but didn't move, even though Reiko knew all he wanted to do was skitter away and hide behind a still-sleeping Matteo. She couldn't blame him, Reiko could see her mother's invisible orange flames twisting around her protectively. She relaxed at the comforting warmth of _home_ as her mother pulled her up and carried her to the powder room. Emilien got up and opened his mouth, but Reiko smiled at him weakly from her mother's shoulder, silently telling him to calm down.

"Tell mommy what's wrong, little duchess." Chouko said, rubbing her back and propping her in the marbled sink.

"I think…" Reiko began, twisting her dress. "Mother, am I too weird?"

A look of surprise flitted on her mother's face. "Baby, no. You're not weird in the first place, why would you think that?"

"I'm…" she hesitated. "I know too much. I don't speak like children my age. I don't like playing dress-up like you want me to, I like books and learning and going out to train and… and—"

"Little duchess, stop." Her mother interrupted when she was running out of air. Her soft eyes were returning back to their hazel color, slivers of amber flickering. "You're not weird, baby. True, you're more intelligent than others, and I'd also like it sometimes if you play with dolls and dresses, but that's only because I want you to relax. You look high-strung sometimes, baby. Like a mini-adult, so daddy and I are worried sometimes. But you're not weird, little duchess. You're special and wonderful and just _perfect…_ " her mother's voice hitched, blood-red fingernails faintly running through Reiko's cheeks. "There's nothing we want more than for you to be the best you can be. We want everything to be perfect for you, because you're _perfect_ for us just the way you are."

Chouko's eyes glistened, looking at her intently. "So I _do not_ want to hear you doubting yourself, little duchess. You're _you_. You're my baby who likes to eat cherry treacle tarts and juiced pumpkins and likes to scribble lightning bolts on papers and has a fascination for everything magic and witches and wizards. I will never trade you for anything and to anyone who says so otherwise, just point them to me and I'll beat them so hard their grandchildren will feel it."

She'll do it for real, even. Reiko burbled out a laugh, hugging her mother tightly, reveling in her familiar scent of lilies tinged with a metallic smell.

"The reason why we left you with Vincent and Tomasino's sons were because they're just as special as you are." Chouko said softly. "We thought you'd like to talk to them since you're as mature as them mentally. If I knew you'd react like this, I would never—"

"No," Reiko shook her head. "They're brilliant. I like them. They're smart and funny and I want them to be my friends."

"Alright, baby. Alright." Chouko hugged her again and Reiko smiled from her shoulder. "Although your father's going to be so _upset_ both of your new friends are boys. He was hoping you'd believe in cooties."

* * *

"A complete pleasure to be here, a complete pleasure." The squat man shaking her father's hand said. "And congratulation to the little debutante again!"

Reiko beamed at him as she ushered her leaving guests to the lobby.

The ball was dwindling and Reiko patted herself on the back for staying upright after her meltdown. Her mother had dabbed her face with foundation, so they were none the wiser that Reiko just cried her eyes out earlier.

A tap on her shoulder made her whirl in surprise.

"Emilien!" she smiled at the boy and her parents.

After the incident, Emilien had given her inquisitive glances for the rest of the evening. At first Reiko thought that the blue-eyed boy wouldn't want to be her friend anymore because of what happened but to her pleasant surprise, he had taken her hand the moment her mother dropped her back in the sitting room, resolutely looking forward with a hint of red in his cheeks.

"We're leaving, little Reiko." Aunt Adeline sang, hugging her tightly. "We'll keep in touch! My son would want to meet you soon again anyway."

Emilien's cheeks burned but he didn't say anything to refute his mother's words. Reiko grinned happily and tackled the older boy in a bruising hug.

"Bye, Emilien! See you soon. And Matteo too, but he went ahead earlier…"

Matteo didn't wake up from his sleep and had to be carried by an exasperated Uncle Tomasino, who muttered something about ' _going great lengths to avoid your sister_ ' all the while. He had also promised to drop his son by for playdates in the future.

Emilien didn't say anything but accepted her tackling hug for a brief second before pushing her away gently and stomping off to the entrance. His parents followed after him with amused smirks, waving goodbye to Reiko.

"Well done, little duchess." Reiji told his daughter quietly as they watched the last limousine drive away from their grounds. "Well done."

Reiko smiled up at him. She knew her father wasn't just talking about the ball.

* * *

The rest of the night was an unparalleled success and Reiko slumped on her four-poster, hair wet and pajamas on. Her parents gave her a quick hug and went off to delegate the remainders of the party, insisting that Reiko went to bed. She agreed, too tired to protest.

Reiko was already halfway to sleep, could already feel the vestiges of deep slumber settling on her mind, when she jerked awake, _violently_ at the blurry sight of her bookcase by the light of the moon.

 _Books…_

The book—

Holy hell!

Everything she forgot this afternoon came back to her in a force of a speeding truck.

"Merlin's saggy underpants!" Reiko cursed as she sat upright, eyes wide.

Her book! The book she wanted translated! Her father still had it—

"Damn it," she groaned, clutching her wet hair. "Ugh, why did I _forget_? And Clovis… damn sneaky butler. Clovis said something about flames and entities and…"

It frustrated her that she usually forgot things like these. She remembered being frantic about something _pink_ and _freaky_ and _toady_ as a baby but she never got to recall what exactly it was.

Reiko struggled to remember her conversation with the 'not-so-old' butler earlier. Was it really just this afternoon? With all the excitement from the ball, it felt like days ago but… she wracked her mind. What had they talked about?

Speaking of Clovis… Reiko didn't know why she trusted the butler despite his shady attitude. It was just… something in her brain immediately deemed Clovis as a non-threat despite his suspicious behavior. It made her want to trust him, want to listen carefully to his words.

Clovis said something about gifts, didn't he?

What else had he said…

" _Have you never thought of using the gifts given to you, unwilling as you were to receive it?_ _"_

She repeated his words in her head again—

Reiko shot her head up, spine tingling.

Unwilling gifts…

"No way." She whispered. There had only been three gifts Reiko had been unwilling to have, and it was given a _literal_ lifetime ago so it couldn't be those gifts…

Could it?

Reiko let out a shuddering breath, a prickle of fear and anticipation racing through her spine. Before, as Harry, she had tried to get rid of _them._ They kept on appearing even though Harry broke _one_ into splintered wooden pieces, left _one_ in the middle of the Forbidden Forest to be crushed by centaur hooves, and the last _one_ stuffed inside a bunker never to be called on again except for emergencies. Despite his attempts, Harry found _all three_ in pristine condition waiting faithfully whenever there was the tiniest hint of being called forward. Even if Harry was just thinking of them in the slightest sliver of his imagination, _all three_ would shimmer into being immediately.

Dodging curses from Voldie's sycophants? They'll trip Harry on the floor.

A passing thought during a board meeting? They'll pop out on the conference table.

Hanging a piñata on Hugo's birthday? They'll appear right on top of the stuffed horse filled with candy.

Reiko didn't know what would happen if she tried to call for _them_ in this new world. She didn't want to risk it, didn't want to gamble her new life away. What if it takes her away from her parents?

But if she wanted answers… And even Clovis had hinted that her rebirth had something to do with _them_ …

" _Have you never thought of using the gifts given to you, unwilling as you were to receive it?_ _"_

Reiko had to do it.

Gathering all her courage, Reiko stuck out her hand and concentrated, pulling out the fledgling magic slowly developing inside her young body, making the warmth tingle up her chest. She focused it on her arms, imagining the three items of Death appearing in her mind, applied it with a bit of her _magic_ and—

 _THUMP._

"Holy buggering fuck!" she screamed and scrabbled away as something landed on her thighs, swiftly pulling out her nightlight and directing it forward.

Her heart stopped.

On her bed, lying innocently like it was part of her comforter, was a bundled up cloth in the color of the night sky. It was arranged in a mocking imitation of a hitchhiker's bindle, a thin stick tied in the middle. For a second, Reiko wildly thought that a hobo must have left it there.

She squeaked when her door clicked open and she flung herself at the bundle, covering it up.

"Reiko?"

She stiffened in the silence and closed her eyes, trusting that her mother wouldn't lift the bed curtains. She subdued her 'not-magic' flames as hard as she could, hoping that neither of her parents could sense it.

Footsteps came closer and her father's voice rang out.

"Chouko? What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard swearing. _British_ swearing—"

A scoff. "Little duchess doesn't swear. She's my innocent four-year old."

"You know, despite that vaunted intuition of yours, you're surprisingly gullible regarding our baby, Reiji. All the words she learns… Reiko is such a walking dictionary, honestly… You remember that time she said ' _merde'_ —"

"I do because of the burn you left on my face—"

Reiko breathed a sigh of relief when her door clicked shut. She got up slowly once she was sure they were gone and focused her attention on the bundle on her bed.

It was still there. She let out a shuddering breath and padded shaky hands through the smooth liquid-like material of the bundled cloth, unable to believe her eyes when thin wisps of magic curled around her hand like smoke.

Her former father's Invisibility Cloak… James Potter's…

It was real. Magic was real. It was right here on her hands. Her former world was real and Reiko wasn't just hallucinating. Here was tangible proof that somewhere out there, her world existed. A country or a whole universe away, it didn't matter. They were _there_. Teddy and Hermione and Ron and Neville, all of them probably waiting for her…

But how did it get here? How—

Clovis's words rang through her mind once more.

" _Then perhaps you'd like to ask the entity who most likely bought you here. Have you never thought of using the gifts given to you, unwilling as you were to receive it_?"

The entity who bought her here.

Gifts given to her… to Reiko… to _Harry_.

Gifts that were now sitting in front of her in a mocking reminder of her former world.

Powerful gifts…

The wand, the stone, the cloak…

The Deathly Hallows.

Reiko let out another shuddering breath, swallowing heavily. She closed her eyes and opened her lips, her voice a whisper in the black silence.

"Death?"

A moment of eternity passed. And in the stillness of the night—

" _You called, Mistress_?"

.

* * *

.

.

 **Author's Note:** My brain is melting. But hey, I met my deadline so yay me.

So the ball is done and wrapped up nicely and Reiko got to meet new people. Two of them I pulled out of OHSHC (wink*wink*hint*hint) and one is genderbent because they don't exist in the manga so I took advantage of that since I'm following the manga's timeline. Heh. A cookie to anyone who gets who it is.

And to people who asks why Reiko didn't feel her mother approaching while talking to Emilien, it's because she was distracted. Her ability to sense people with flames isn't permanently on, she has to concentrate to track them down. Also, she can only track people she's constantly exposed to, meaning she wouldn't be able to track or even know other flame users early on. Shamal is an exception because Reiko realized by herself that he can see flames. She has no idea of its uses or even types by this time.

And to those who want KHR themes, not to worry since I plan to integrate them into the story. Not too much or too fast for the story to lose its essence or for those who don't read KHR to be clueless. I want a nice balance, and I'm laboring through it slowly. I'm integrating KHR right now, and guess what happened between Reiko, Emilien and Matteo?

And look at that, I actually know how to end with a cliffhanger. Wow, being the spoiler whore I am, I thought I'd never do it. But miracles upon miracles, I just cut the story right there, haha.

Next chapter we get answers. It's going to be a long talk.

 **Read and review.**

Memory out!


	5. Date with Death

...

" _I'm not_ _afraid of Death. I just don't want to be there when it happens."- Woody Allen_

 _.._

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, Ouran High School Host Club, or Katekyo! Hitman Reborn

..

 **Author's Note:** Good day, y'all. New chapter for you! I wasn't able to reply to any reviews last chapter due to my hectic schedule but rest assured I read all of them and took them into consideration. Special thanks to those who offered ideas and criticisms because I got new stuff for the story.

So here's the Death chapter and we've got a lot of explanations on this one. Please tell me what you think about it m'kay? And guys, thanks for the numerous follows, faves, and reviews! It fuels my inspiration.

…

 **W** **arnings:** Flashback, death talks, death from another universe, swearing from a little girl, lol.

...

* * *

 _CLUNK._

"Ow, Ron!"

"What did we say about getting your guts spilled in Diagon Alley, Harry?"

"Er… to not do it?"

 _THUNK._

"Ow! I'm a patient! This is abuse! Where are the healers? Someone should kick you out, you're detrimental to my recovery!"

"You're detrimental to our _sanity_ , Harry."

"It's not like I _asked_ Rowle to hex me in the middle of a crowded street! How was I supposed to know he liked throwing around Entrail-Expelling curses like candy on Halloween?"

 _THWOCK._

"Ow, stop it! _Hermioneee_!"

"You deserve it Harry and you know it!" A sniffle. "There was so much blood. We thought you were going to _die_."

"Oh, Merlin. I'm sorry, 'Mione. I didn't mean to." A shift and a half-hug. "I'll be more careful from now on. I'd wrestle with Death before he could take me away from you guys."

A watery chuckle. "Of course you'd try to _brawl_ with Death. Boys…"

A shrug. "Well what would you do, Hermione? _Negotiate_?"

"She would, too. She'd rant about how it's _obviously_ not her time yet and if they could pretty please return her back?"

Snickers.

"Oh, hush you two. That's not true! And honestly Ron, I think anyone in their right mind would just scream, faint, or cry if they faced _Death_. Because what else would you do? _Stare_?"

* * *

Hermione would have her confined.

Because that was exactly what Reiko was doing at the face of Death. Staring at the blackened cloaked figure looming over her bed, mouth gaping, eyes the size of dinner plates.

She obviously wasn't in her right mind.

"Uh…"

The dark shadows flickered, Death's head tilted, and Reiko fidgeted.

" _Yes, Mistress_?"

She jumped, heart hammering. The reply hadn't been a vocal one but had resounded inside her brain as a raspy echo, like howling winter winds and the crackle of dead branches. She shivered at the sudden chill and rubbed her arms. Her room was dropping in temperature and her breath was coming out in puffs of cold air.

Death was a seven-foot tall figure veiled in tattered black robes. He was suspended midair like a grotesque hanged man, making Reiko's intuition scream in fright at the image. She couldn't see any visible hands or appendages, everything was enshrouded in pitch black. Shadows were slinking around its form like licks of black fire.

Reiko had never seen anything so silently frightening.

"Y-you're Death?" she whispered as gripped the comforter wrapped around her, feeling oddly safe at having the thick material blanketing her body despite her internal screaming.

 _What can a comforter do against a primordial entity of all things ending?! Why does she feel secure in a blanket?!_

Reiko felt a tinge of amusement rising from her chest. She bloody well knew that wasn't coming from her so that can only mean in came from the being in front of her.

"You're h-having fun," Reiko accused with narrowed eyes, the feeling of amusement still remaining.

Death hummed, his tall shadowy stature lowering to her level. Reiko felt her hair rise at the proximity.

" _Indeed. I have expected a different reaction out of my Mistress. But for you to cower in your blanket like a frightened child was not one of them. It is as you assume, that flimsy material cannot do anything to keep me out. Yet children throughout different universes have the same instinct to do so anyway."_

Reiko processed the hoarse reply and recoiled in indignation. "You're reading my mind?!"

Death wavered. Reiko could feel another wave of amusement from… him? It? The voice sounded like a 'him'. _"Perceptive of you. Yes, we are connected in a soul-deep bond. You can sense what little emotion I can feel and I can pull thoughts out of your mind."_

"Well…" she hesitated. "Well."

She didn't really know what to say to that.

"Do you…" she looked away from his terrifying visage. "Do you think you could look less… I don't know. Less stereotypical?"

A hoarse sound echoed in her mind. It took Reiko a minute to realize that Death was laughing. At her.

Death was laughing at her. Reiko made _Death_ laugh.

" _Ah, Mistress. Another reason why I am undeniably fond of your soul."_ He responded, drawing nearer. _"Your courage is admirable despite the fear you exude. Your spirit shines like a beacon in this infested world. Sometimes I contemplate about keeping you in my realm for eternity, yes?"_

"Please don't." Reiko deadpanned, shivering slightly.

Death laughed again, the raspy sound rising her hairs on end. _"You ask for another form of mine? Very well."_

The shadows converged on Death's cloaked figure, whirring around in a frenzy of black shades that completely obscured the tall being for a few seconds. The darkness lightened and dissipated, and Reiko blinked at the new figure standing before her.

"Is this more to your liking, mistress?" a cultured voice asked out loud, no longer ringing in her head.

Death now looked like an elderly man dressed in a dark business suit. Graying hair, crinkles on his cheekbones, a thin smile. He was carrying a steel-tipped cane that he twirled around his gnarled hands. His eyes were unnerving, overly large pupils the shade of liquid black.

"Er… yes." Reiko said awkwardly, shoulders relaxing despite herself. The heavy, cloying weight disappeared from the atmosphere and she stopped breathing out cold puffs of air.

"Hmmm…" Death gave her an appraising stare, conjuring a chintz chair and sitting down with legs crossed. He tilted his head. "You seem to be more receptive to my image as one of the Four Horsemen. Curious."

"What?" Reiko blurted out, poking her head from her blanket. "And why do you have a British accent?"

It honestly made her think of Snape.

He shrugged elegantly, never taking his pitch black eyes off her. "Different aspects of Death. The physical form is different, yet the essence is the same. Such as… ah, the gods of Olympus. Greek and Roman. Their Roman counterparts were given different names and histories and temperaments, yet their core remained true."

"Like… like Zeus and Jupiter?" Reiko asked tentatively. "So you can change forms. This is you as one of the Four Horsemen?"

The Four Horsemen… Reiko actually read about them in this new life. After rifling through myths and legends and historical passages, it was no brainer that she would stumble upon a book of about the supposed Biblical end of the world. It depicted the Four Horsemen that would be the harbingers of the divine apocalypse and spread out the last judgement. The White Rider of Pestilence, the Red Rider of War, the Black Rider of Famine, and lastly, the Pale Rider of Death, who was the final herald and would sweep throughout the land creating mass fatalities.

Looking at the prim British gentleman sitting in her room, Reiko found it hard to equate him to the grim-faced, toga-wearing dude mounted on top of a homicidal horse.

"That's right, Mistress." He gave her a pleased look. "The aspect I donned earlier… Care to guess?"

Reiko blinked. The creepy looming and tattered cloak thing. "Er… I'd say you were the Grim Reaper… missing your scythe?"

He chuckled. "Very good. Very good indeed. I desisted in materializing my scythe. I didn't want to frighten you further."

"Well, you succeeded." Reiko muttered under her breath. If he'd been brandishing a scythe earlier, she might just have had a heart attack.

Reiko didn't know why she was being so receptive… why she could easily believe that he was Death. But something in her mind and heart readily agreed that this was real, that Death was real…

She shuddered. She was having a conversation with _Death_. The primordial representation of the end of all things. How trippy was this? This was high on her scale of 'what-the-fuck', including that time when Ron had his bachelor party and they somehow ended up in a Nigerian forest in the middle of a cannibalistic tribe cuddling several newts buck-naked.

Reiko shook her head.

Death gave her an oddly fond stare, like a doting uncle looking at a favored niece. Reiko didn't know what prompted his amiable attitude towards her but she was rather glad he didn't look like he wanted to rip her soul off.

"But discussions about my aspects are not what you've called me for, I gather. I imagine you'd have a lot of questions," Death pointed out, clasping his hands together and leaning on his seat.

"Right," Reiko breathed out. "Right. These… these are yours, aren't they?"

She unwrapped the tied Invisibility Cloak, showing a perfectly pristine Resurrection Stone and Elder Wand inside, the three items innocently making its infamous symbol on Reiko's bed.

"Ah, yes. My cloak, my stone, my wand." Death smiled faintly. "It's been a while since you called them, Mistress. A whole lifetime away."

"Called them? They bloody well wouldn't leave me alone!" Reiko raised her voice incredulously. Then she realized how loud she had been and darted a worried glance at the door. She didn't want to alert anyone that she was having an impromptu date with Death.

"Don't worry, child. The realm of Time has halted in assistance to our meeting today." Death said, waving her concern away. "And of course they wouldn't leave you alone, silly Mistress. They are yours to keep."

"I didn't want them." Reiko said, then added hastily. "Well… before. I didn't want them before." Because Reiko would now hold on to them tightly if they were the only link to the Magical World she would ever have.

Death raised a brow. "You called them to you and they responded. You called _me_ and I responded. What is it that you wish?"

"What I wish?" Reiko repeated, dumbfounded. Death was speaking in riddles! "Hold on a minute! I just called the Hallows because I wanted to know why I'm here! I didn't even know they'd respond. Heck, I didn't even know the tale of the Three Brothers were real! That _you_ were real!"

"Oh, is that so?" Death said, not the least offended. "Why didn't you say so? I'm quite real, thank you very much. And like I said, you're here because of a wish."

Silence.

"A wish?"

"You were dead, Mistress." Death said, shrugging. "Well I suppose it started when you became _Master_ back then. As Harry Potter. A little backstory first, hm?

"I suppose you still remember the tale of the Three Brothers. You do? Good… The three Peverell brothers were real wizards, yet the actual legend was false. They were powerful necromancers, their family lines delving so deep into the dark arts that they were touched by Me. They never met nor bested Death, as the legend states. They fashioned the wand, stone, and cloak in acknowledgement of their own magical origins and made up the legend, which would prove to be their own demise. I grew intrigued by the myth surrounding the three fabled items and the sheer potential they held. So Death thought, why not? Let us give truth to the legend. Let us see what kind of mortal could achieve the title of _Master of Me_." Death gave Reiko a bloodthirsty smile that made her spine grow cold. "If that mortal was impudent enough to claim superiority over Death then I would show them just how much power they had over _Me_."

Translation, Death would make their life a living hell. She swallowed.

"So it was a game?" Reiko whispered. "You gave truth to the legend out of a _whim_?"

The tense atmosphere subdued. "Not entirely. Belief has power on its own, and it was partly why I had been drawn to the three items. You should know how powerful belief could be, Mistress."

Reiko looked away. It was true after all. She carried the belief of a whole world that expected a single boy to deliver them out of the Dark Lord. The same Dark Lord who believed that a mere babe could defeat him in the height of his power.

Belief… belief was a powerful and terrible thing.

"So afterwards?" Reiko implored. "I imagine you weren't happy when… when I became Master of Death."

He tilted his aged head, looking at her with a half-smile. "Did you know that I had been with you the moment Lily Potter protected you from the Killing Curse?"

Reiko's eyes widened.

"Oh, yes. I was interested, you see. You were supposed to die, but your mother invoked a powerful blood ritual to prevent your soul from leaving your body. In a way, it was Lily Potter who defeated that abomination the first time. I had been shadowing that so-called Voldemort's every step ever since he ripped his soul into atrocious pieces, wanting to drag his tattered soul to the pits of Tartarus. Imagine my surprise when a babe touched by a mother's protection was declared by Fate to be his promised vanquisher." Death looked at her. "So I watched and waited. And the more I saw of your soul during the numerous times you almost died, the more you shined and persevered. You did not give up to evil, you even gave yourself willing to Death… to _Me_ , if it meant the salvation of your world. For your world would have perished had you not delivered them from the abomination."

"My world would have ended?" Reiko parroted in disbelief. Hermione's theory flashed into her mind.

Death hummed and twirled his cane. "Do you want a vision on how things would have turned out if Voldemort won?"

"No! No thanks!" Reiko hastened, unwilling to delve into what-could-have-been's. She didn't need nightmares. "So… you weren't mad? When I got all three items?"

Death wouldn't reap her soul then?

The old man gave a ghost of a smile. "No, I was not mad. And no, I'm not going to do something as distasteful as reaping your soul. Really, child."

Reiko chuckled sheepishly.

"Quite the contrary, I grew fond of you. You were not the type to abuse power. You looked after your people, despite the many times they lambasted or assaulted your person. You carried their hopes but you were not foolish enough to be blindly idealistic. You knew your limits and brought out the best in people. And most of all, you sacrificed yourself for the same people that practically crucified you."

"I was just doing the right thing," Reiko defended, cheeks pink. She just… tried to make the best of her situation, back as Harry. She didn't know what else to do but fight for her life and encourage others to do the same.

"Ah, but not many people are willing to do the right thing. Which is what makes you unique." Death said. "And so I decided to let you have control over Me. I made you my Mistress. But then… you never called."

He gave her a disapproving look and Reiko quailed. It was the same look her father gave her when she didn't eat her Brussel sprouts.

"You never called. The three gifts were thoroughly rejected. Any other human would use that kind of power for their benefit but you…" Death said, exasperated. "You broke the wand into pieces, allowed the stone to get trampled on, and kept the cloak hidden. In a bunker."

Death sounded highly offended that she kept such a mystical artifact next to her sock drawer.

"I didn't want it." Reiko said defensively. "It was creepy! It kept appearing whenever I just thought about it!"

Death scoffed. "Of course they would appear. Had you used them even _once_ , they would have been appeased at your acknowledgement of ownership. But you rejected them and never even deigned to think about them anymore."

"Wait. You mean they would've stopped appearing if I just used them _once_?"

"Yes." Death looked at her like she was slow.

"Oh."

Reiko stared at the three Hallows, which she now realized was exuding some sort of emotion. It felt like… like a skittish kicked puppy whining and growling at being mistreated yet wanted to return to their owner.

"Oh." she said again, absently reaching for the long, wooden stick.

The moment her fingers touched the ancient wand, a burst of complete elation filled her body and a mellow light filled her room. Once again, the feeling of exuberance wasn't coming from her. It was from the three Hallows, and they were singing a voiceless hum of triumph and jubilation at finally being accepted by their one and only mistress, which had never happened ever since their creation.

"They're sentient?" Reiko whispered, enjoying the playful feelings emitted by the items.

"Enough blood and magic have been spilled into all three Hallows for them to gain awareness." Death replied. "They will answer to none but you, will never accept another soul's control. 'Tis the first time they were united by one person, so one person they shall serve."

Reiko waved the Elder Wand and was astonished as sparks of silver and amber gold erupted from the tip like fireworks, dancing around the room like stars.

"Wow." Reiko said in giddy awe. Her magical core was just a fledgling at her age yet the Elder Wand managed to turn what little magic it got from her into something brilliantly beautiful. "This is amazing."

Death smiled at her.

Reiko glanced at him, placing the wand down. "I wanted to ask. Why is it that I died in my sleep? Hermione… she said something about sudden death syndrome, but it's deeper than that, isn't it?"

"Correct." Death replied softly. "It is your family's payment, you who have the Cloak. The three brothers who created the three most extraordinary artifacts of Death had to adhere to the first and oldest law of alchemy in order to bring them forth in the world. The Law of Equivalent Exchange."

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost." Reiko recited, having studied rudimentary alchemy as her higher studies after Hogwarts.

"Indeed. To bring them into creation, the three brothers had to unknowingly pay something in return. They were arrogant in thinking that they could create the Hallows without some sort of compensation to Magic. The eldest brother sold his sanity. He became lost in his thirst for power, which was eventually carried down to his sons and their children. If the Wand he most desperately craved was held by any of his descendant's, it would spell death for them."

"Voldemort." Reiko murmured. Out of the three Hallows the Dark Lord had only been interested at the power of the Elder Wand, yet obtaining it was one of the reasons for his demise. "The Gaunts."

"The second brother sold his soul." Death smiled sinisterly. "He was the most daring of the three, trying to bring back the dead in their wholesome. He paid for it when he killed himself to be with his lover. The law demanded his existence. Never again will he enter the cycle of life. Never had he been reunited with his lover."

Reiko shivered, biting her tongue.

"And the last… well, the last brother was deemed the wisest of the three. In many ways it is true. But it another way, he is also the most foolish. He sought protection from Death. But as his children continuously used the Cloak for their safety, it was claiming something just as dangerous as the risks they faced had they not used the Cloak." Death paused, looking at Reiko with his fathomless eyes. "It was draining their vitality."

Color drained from Reiko's face as it dawned on her. "It was taking our life force. That's why… That's why Potters die early."

"Yes. And the more you demanded from the Cloak, the more it demands from you in turn. And you, Harry Potter, had demanded from it greatly."

Reiko let out a shuddering breath, remembering all the times she had relied on it to remain hidden and safe.

"Does this mean I can't use it?" she asked, skin prickling from where the Cloak was touching her. "I won't use any of the Hallows if it drains my life away. Even if it means locking them up forever."

At this, Death gave a positively feral grin. " _That_ would be a problem, wouldn't it? How dreadful that they demand something from the descendants of the Peverells in exchange for their allegiance.

"But then again, Mistress… you're not exactly a Peverell anymore, are you?"

A thrill of electricity crossed Reiko's spine and she stared at the aged entity with wide eyes.

"Are you saying that I can use them with no strings attached? For real? No… life-sucking payment?" Reiko goggled at Death.

He inclined his head, a flash of hesitance in his face before he answered. "Yes. But you could have also done it before, in your former life. If you had accepted their allegiances and became Master of Death, it would have lifted the consequences of the Equivalent Exchange because all three Hallows would be in complete harmony. The price would have been completely paid. You hadn't needed to die as Harry Potter."

Reiko faltered, green eyes dulling. "I…I see."

So she died… because of the Invisibility Cloak. It had been seeping life force away in payment for its years of service. And she could have prevented her death had she only accepted the 'Stalking Hallows', as Ron had dubbed them when he found Harry half-naked and freaking out at the three items dunked on a bathroom sink.

Reiko bit her cheek and battled herself inwardly to keep her frustrations in control, trying to stop from beating herself in the head for being so stubborn at refusing the three Hallows. _She didn't know_ , she reasoned out. She didn't know that she could've lived it she took them. Hell, she didn't know that she was dying in the first place.

' _I'm okay…_ ' she comforted herself. It's okay. She had yearned to die before, back when Dumbledore made him choose in the platform, and yearned again when she had first been reborn as Reiko. She had been furious at the thought of losing her chance to see her parents and Sirius and Remus, furious at the denial of eternal rest. But now she had a reason to live. She couldn't imagine dying. Reiko had new parents… parents who she guiltily loved more than Lily and James because as much as she cared and appreciated the Potters for dying for Harry, she fiercely loved Chouko and Reiji for showing her the love of living parents. She didn't belittle her former parents' sacrifice but she never got to know James and Lily compared to Reiji and Chouko who she could love and be with every day. She didn't blame her former parents for dying, just as she didn't accuse her new parents for living when James and Lily didn't because it wasn't anyone's fault. It just is.

She had a new life and endless opportunities in store for her. She was okay. More than okay.

Reiko tugged her hair, burying those thoughts for another day. "So why was I sent here? I heard voices before I was reborn… Why am I… Reiko? And a _girl_?"

"Your first question is a little difficult." Death hummed, tapping his hand rest. "The second… Boys?"

Death flicked his gnarled fingers and Reiko noticed that he was wearing a silver ring on his hand. But she didn't get to ponder on the trinket because two ordinary-looking men popped inside her room, wearing clothes that looked like—

"Are they _morticians_?" Reiko blurted out, craning her head. "Isn't that too cliché?"

Death chuckled. "Mistress, this is Sid and Jack, my reapers. Boys, the Mistress of Death. _My_ mistress."

Sid and Jack looked… well, boring. Even their names were boring for reapers. They were the type of guys you'd pass on the street and didn't give a second glance at. They wore dull gray clothes and their skin were pasty white, like they hadn't seen the sun for decades. They gave her a bow and gazed at her with curious brown eyes. Sid looked older, more authoritative. Jack was ganglier, like a wiry teenager who just graduated high school.

"It's necessary for them to look ordinary in order for them not to catch attention." There was a fleeting smile on Death's face as he read her surface thoughts. "Sid and Jack were responsible for ferrying your soul into your new body. Boys, my mistress needs an explanation and she wants it now."

Jack sent a panicked look at Sid and Reiko bit back a chuckle. She remembered the voices that sent her here with clarity, and she supposed that Jack was the one who was fussing about having her memories removed. He looked like the type to flail and fluster.

"You're new at this, aren't you?" Reiko inquired, looking at Jack.

He made a 'meeping' sound, and Reiko couldn't believe that a high school reaper in mortician clothes could sound adorable. Death and Sid both chuckled.

"That's right, mistress. Jack's been in this business for over two hundred years only." Sid replied in a drawling tone that reminded Reiko of Uncle Tomasino for some reason.

"Two hundred years?" Reiko asked, patting her bed for them to sit on. Jack colored and shook his head like a wet Labrador, opting to sit in the carpet instead. Sid continued standing.

"Five hundred is barely considered a teenager in reaper terms." Death said.

"So Jack's just a baby reaper?" Reiko clarified.

Death and Sid nodded over Jack's indignant squawk.

"So what happened?" Reiko started after a few seconds of silence. "Death told me that I died properly because of the life-sucking blanket, but why was I reborn? And as a girl?"

Reiko ignored Death mouthing ' _life-sucking blanket_ ' with great offense in his face.

"You were born a girl because of chance, Mistress. Because of luck." Jack piped up off-handedly. He even sounded like a teenager, voice cracked with puberty. "We don't choose a baby's gender deliberately since it's not usually a concern of our department. Souls… don't really remember if they were boy or girl before."

"Point." Reiko grimaced. Well, at least she had an answer to that. Her gender wasn't really bothering her but it was nice to know. "And my memories?"

"You were supposed to enter reincarnation cycle without your memories or powers, mistress." Sid confessed in his deep, booming voice. "But we could not cleanse your soul of its past life. It could only mean two things. One is if our boss deemed it necessary. And the second is if the higher-ups deem it necessary."

Reiko flashed a look at Death who shook his head.

"It was not I who ordered your memories to remain. Although I quite like that you remember. It means we can interact without confusion, which we never did before since you never called. Your life was awfully boring after you defeated the Dark Lord." Death said, flashing her a grin full of teeth.

Reiko glared, offended. She _wanted_ that 'awfully boring life after defeating the Dark Lord'. After years of dodging dragons, trolls, and Petunia's skillet, her days after Voldemort were paradise. "So who? Who reincarnated me with memories intact? Not that I'm ungrateful, but it's just strange."

Death shifted. "Think, Mistress. Death is not the only primordial entity capable of shifting tides. What force of the universe could have done this? Had already done so before in your past life by instilling a prophecy that declared you the defeater of the so-called greatest Dark Lord?"

Reiko sucked in a breath. "Destiny? Or… or fate?"

"Fate." Death nodded, raising a brow at her. "She cannot assume a form as I can, but she is sentient. Enough to meddle in the cycle of life and death. Odd, I thought it would take some time for you to get it right because I believe you'd find it—"

"Cliché?" Reiko supplied drily. "I do find it cliché. But after all the alarmingly bad and good luck thrown at me in _both lives_ , the idea that an unstoppable entity is gearing my life is far more acceptable than the idea that I'm just a magnet for trouble."

"You're both," Jack piped up from the carpet. Sid gave him a look, and he deflated. Reiko cooed inwardly at his kicked puppy pout.

"So Fate insisted that I be born with memories intact? Why? For what—" Reiko's eyes widened in slow realization. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes." Death's lips curled into a smirk.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Reiko declared in a fury, throwing her beddings everywhere. "I will not be involved in another _prophecy_!"

"It's nothing as predictable as a prophecy," Death scoffed.

"Oh, so it's something worse?!"

"It's something exciting." The seemingly old man replied, black eyes gleaming.

"Something that excites _Death_ is something bad!"

"Of course you'd take it that way, Mistress."

" _Anyone_ would take it that way!"

Jack was alternating his head back and forth like they were playing a demented pin-pong match.

"Have you wondered what is wrong with Magic in this world?" Death interrupted Reiko's rant. "Because it is as you think, this world isn't your world anymore. It is completely different. Foreign. Most things are the same but Magic… oh yes, she has changed."

Reiko abruptly stopped, pining Death with a flinty look.

"The ley lines."

"Yes. The ley lines." Death murmured. "In your world, the ley lines were healthily flowing. In here however… well. There are no wizards and witches to use it anymore. Except you, of course."

Reiko shuddered. She had reached the same conclusion, but having it said out loud brought an ominous warning to it.

"So what?" Reiko combed her hair agitatedly. " _So what_? Is that it? Did Fate bring me here to be magic's savior? Is that is?"

"Calm yourself, Mistress." Death snapped, reaching forward Reiko for the first time since he appeared. A touch to her forehead and Reiko's shoulders slumped automatically, a feeling of complete peace washing over her body. "You were agitating the Hallows as well."

Reiko looked down to see all three items glowing a soft red, heating her mattress rapidly like a hot iron. She tried to relax and rubbed her head where Death poked her. She smiled when the Hallows let out a grudging sort of calm, promising her to leap up at any danger.

"No one wants you to be the savior of this world, Mistress. You have done your part in your own world, sacrificed more than enough and reaped your rewards." Death said calmly. "And besides, the title of the Chosen One has been given to another child. Judging from the faint aura I can feel from you, the person chosen to deliver this world is related to you somehow. From… your father's side. Which is quite odd. Your father is related to the Chosen One, yet _not_ at the same time. Curious, curious…"

Reiko grimaced as Death continued to contemplate. Ugh, what is it with Fate and little kids? If only she could slap the sodding entity with child abuse. She resolved to check her father's family tree first thing in the morning and find the poor bastard. Reiko didn't want anything to do with this world's 'Chosen One' mess at all, but she lived through all that hardship before. She knew how difficult it was, carrying that burden without any help. And if Reiko knew something, it was that Fate really was a bitch that liked to throw obstacles at you for 'character building'.

"That she is," Death intoned with amusement, scanning her thoughts. "My, my, Mistress. You really can't leave it alone, can you?"

Reiko bit her tongue, knowing it was true. She had a 'saving people' thing, according to her exasperated friends. But she couldn't help it. If she could help people, why shouldn't she? The world's already miserable as it. Helping would mean less suffering in the world.

"So if I'm not supposed to be the 'Chosen One'… and thank heavens for that," Reiko muttered the last part. "Why was I sent here with memory intact? It has something to do with magic, doesn't it?"

"Your question brings us back to my first answer, Mistress." Death said. "A wish."

"A wish?" Reiko repeated, re-running their conversation in her head. "Yeah, what was up with that? A wish sent me here? I didn't get what you said earlier."

Death gave her a stern look. "Do stop interrupting, Mistress. Things are complicated enough as is. Don't make it harder for me to explain."

Reiko pouted and Jack giggled faintly.

"Right. Where was I? Ah, yes. The wish." Death paused. "Remember when I said I had an intention of keeping you with me in my realm for eternity? Well, that part was somewhat true. Your soul is truly fascinating."

"What?!"

"Didn't I say that you should stop interrupting?"

"You can't expect me to shut up when you say things like that, crazy old man!" Reiko shrieked and flung a pillow at him. It just went through Death in a hiss of smoke. "What, are you a pedo or something? What freaky-deaky shit were you going to do with my soul?"

Sid and Jack choked.

Death rolled his eyes. "I placed your soul in temporary rest for safekeeping. True, you were the most unique, shining souls I had in my collection but honestly, Mistress. Do keep me above your humanly urges."

"Oh," Reiko blinked. "Why didn't you say so?"

Death gave an aggrieved sigh. "Interruptions?"

"Sorry," she muttered sheepishly.

"As I was saying," Death threw her another look and Reiko put her hands up in surrender. "I had plans in letting your soul heal. You should know Mistress, that reincarnation takes hundreds of years to happen depending on how wounded or whole the soul is. It is a delicate process. But yours had been whole and pristine; enough for it to be reincarnated into a better world automatically. However, I didn't plan on letting your soul go yet. I wanted it to stay for a while despite its apparent perfection." He paused. "That was not what happened."

Reiko leaned forward, enraptured.

"Barely months after you died, three forces pulled you out of my realm. Out of my reach. Out of my jurisdiction. So much so, that my reapers were forced to disobey my orders and reincarnate you into your cycle." He looked supremely annoyed at that, shadows lashing around him in anger. Sid flinched and Jack whimpered. "Three forces. A perfectly powerful number, powerful enough that I could do nothing but let you live a new life, watch over your growth from afar and wait for you to utter my name in order for me to get near. To my own Mistress."

"Watch me… from afar?" Reiko griped out, struggling at the displeased pressure Death was radiating.

"Your father often complains about crows nesting near your house, does he not?"

"That was you?" Reiko said in surprise. The black birds often appeared around the estate and would come close during her birthdays.

Death shrugged. "Not specifically me. I only visited you once, personally. To make sure you were satisfied with your new life. The crows served as my eyes and ears. They could approach nearer during your day of birth because your connection to Me would surge in power. But you never noticed or linked them with Death."

"I just thought they were a bad omen," Reiko said chagrined. "So if you couldn't approach me before… What made it okay for you to be here now? The reason you came to me tonight… What did I—" It clicked like a flickered light bulb in her head. "It was because I said your name. I said the word _Death_. Is that it?"

"Words have power. Belief has power. Things that humans have forgotten." Death sighed. "Yes. I couldn't come near you if you didn't summon me to your side. What with those blasted magical holly creeping around the house for your protection—"

"What?! The holly around the manor?" Reiko yelped. "They're magical?"

"They're imbued with flames of life. Enough to keep me away if you didn't call me specifically." Death waved his bony hand impatiently. "That wasn't what we were talking about. What did I say about interruptions?"

"You were answering my questions," Reiko said in a surly note.

"And I will refuse to do so from now on." Death retorted. She stuck her tongue at him. "Very mature, Mistress. Anyhow… Those three forces that pulled you away. They created the perfect circumstance for you to be reborn out of my jurisdiction. First was Fate. The second is Magic. Two powerful forces bonding together to tug the Master… now _Mistress_ of Death out of her eternal sleep." Death eyed her. "Let me tell you now, Mistress. You have a role in this world. You may not be its Chosen One but the magical beings from this world will request… maybe outright demand for you. Facing the supernatural leaves its mark on the soul. It will attract others to you and there is no way to hide it. You, little Mistress, are one of the biggest beacons ever, what with being heralded as the next coming of Merlin in your former world. Facing dragons and basilisks in combat? Freeing unicorns, hippogriffs, and phoenixes in chains? Oh, yes. They will be attracted to your presence and demand your participation, Chosen of Mine and Magic."

"You make it sound like there's a magical world here. I thought you said there were no wizards and witches in this world." Reiko said weakly. She was honestly wary of what Death was implying.

"True. There are no magical witches and wizards. But that doesn't mean there are no magical beings." Death pursed his lips. "Vampires, werewolves, cambions, goblins. There may be no human magicals, but there are _beings_. Creatures. In fact, there's one right now inside this very house."

Reiko felt her spine chill.

"Nor does it mean that humans didn't evolve to use another type of power almost similar to magic." Death said. "You have been using Dying Will Flames after all, Mistress. Your parents and almost half the people inside this house can use it."

In response, Reiko held her palm up and flickered a small orange flame to life. It took a lot of effort, but a tiny fire danced on her fingertips for a few seconds. Jack clapped in encouragement.

"There you go." Death said with satisfaction.

"What does this mean? What are Dying Will flames?" Reiko asked tentatively, making the tiny orange flames flicked on her palm. "And what do you mean the magical beings are going to… _demand_ my participation? Are they going to drag me out? Kidnap me? _What_?"

"All comes to those who know how to wait." Death said faintly, not looking at her. "A perfectly lovely saying."

Reiko snorted but didn't pry. She'd just get scolded for interrupting. And whatever it is… she glanced at Death. She just had to endure it as hard as she could.

"So Fate and Magic. Two powerful forces that desired your assistance, Mistress. But they could have never been successful alone. They needed a catalyst. An anchor to the world you were about to be born to." Death said, drumming his fingers, silver ring glinting in the darkness. "And that came in the form of a wish. A most powerful desire for you to be born. Someone from this realm had desperately asked for your existence. Enough that they were able to entwine with Fate and Magic to make your birth possible."

"My mother?" Reiko guessed tentatively. "Is it my mother's wish? She… she has trouble having children."

Death frowned. "No. Not your mother. I would have sensed it."

"So who?"

Death adapted a pinched expression. "They have barred their sight from me. It is included in the wish perhaps. Very few entity have the capability to block Death's sight. I am still in the process of figuring out who is responsible. I am not bothered. After all, they will come to Me. In the end, all comes to _Death_."

Reiko bit her cheek. There he goes, being all creepy and death-like again.

"If every magical being here is out to get me, then I need to train." she said, picking the edge of the Invisibility Cloak. She hasn't touched the Resurrection Stone yet. She wasn't prepared for whoever it summoned. "I can't… I can't endanger my parents."

"Your mother and father aren't exactly helpless. You mother in particular… Her reputation precedes her. And your father is turning out to be just as interesting." Death hummed. "You were born to remarkable people. Let's keep them out of Killing Curses this time, shall we?"

Reiko glared at his distasteful joke.

"So there you go, Mistress. Your origins, your purpose. All explained. Unless… you have any other questions? No? Then it is time for me to leave. I am afraid I cannot maintain this aspect longer. It does not belong to this world." Death stood up to leave. Reiko noticed that his figure was wavering, turning blurred like a bad quality film. "I shall look for a way to come and go in your presence. All the screaming and crying at my appearance… Distasteful. Perhaps I could do something to your parents—"

"You are not doing anything to my parents. Not modifying their memories, not confunding them. Nothing." Reiko bit out without hesitation. Then she realized it was rude and added a hasty, "Please."

Death smiled faintly. "As you wish, Mistress. I shall look for other ways, then. As for now we shall take our leave. Remember, just one call…"

Sid and Jack disappeared with a quiet pop, and Reiko just had a second to glimpse Death the Horseman gazing at her with half-lidded eyes before he too, disappeared in a haze of shadows.

" _Goodbye, Mistress."_

With that farewell echoing in her mind, the Kanazuki heiress was left in the darkness of her room, half-kneeling in her mattress. And in her previously unblemished left wrist was a jagged mark etched in black, of a straight line and a small circle inside a pyramid.

* * *

...

 **Author's Note:** I had some trouble with writing this chapter. And I'm having trouble writing the next one too. So it might be out after Christmas because of the holiday rush and the number of parties my parents want me to attend with them.

So! What do you think of this one? Did you get my hint about who the Chosen One is in this world? And who the magical being is in their home? What did Death mean when Reiji was related to the Chosen One yet _not_ at the same time? How about Death's aspect, did you notice which world I pulled him from?

And about Reiko's power, I'm not going to make her all-powerful. Death isn't a puppy she can call all the time. He has duties and she has to learn to grow on her own. She does have the Deathly Hallows so there's that. She's essentially a normal magical human who got an extra boost from her parents' flames, but being the only natural-born witch in the world gives her a uniqueness that the magical beings are going to be needing.

 **Read and review.**

Memory out!


	6. News from the Rising Sun

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 _There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.- **Ernest Hemmingway**_

 _ **.**_

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, Ouran High School Host Club, or Katekyo! Hitman Reborn

.

 **Author's Note:** Hi guys! It's my birthday today and I thought that I'd give you guys a gift instead. You can gift me back via reviews, haha.

Since some people were asking when I'm going to apply OHSHC in this fanfic, I'm saying it right now. It'll be awhile before she reaches Ouran. I'm still building the plot and world and I apologize if it seems slow to you guys. But this chapter now has a lot of hints in it, so I hope it sort of appeases you sort of. I'm not going to say sorry about the KHR or other anime themes since it's explicitly stated in the summary. If you do have suggestions, the review box is always open.

On a lighter note, I'd like to thank all the support, feedback, and criticism for this story. It builds my backbone and I realize a few things as I write this fic. It's been memorable, that's for sure. So yep, thanks for the reviews, faves and follows.

This new chapter happens the morning after the ball. Feel free to ask me any questions if it gets confusing to you.

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 **Warnings:** None really, unless you consider a long history talk a hazard

* * *

 _ **Ise Province  
**_ _ **Kansai, Japan**_

 _._

 _Ring, ring._

A servant approached the well-built man twisting his blade expertly on the training mat, his weathered face focused. The servant coughed lightly, which prompted the man to pause from his stance. Bowing, the servant handed his master the phone. Honey brown eyes widened when he saw the caller and he lowered his blade in surprise.

 _Click._

"Chouko. It's been a while."

" _Good morning, Yori nii-san. Or good afternoon, I suppose. It's morning in Paris and I forgot the time difference. Eight hours, I think?"_

Yori propped his practice katana back to its stand, still on the line as he accepted the towel cloth his aide handed him. "It's two in the afternoon here in Japan, Chouko. So yes, a good afternoon it is. But with the meeting I had with the elders earlier, it's hardly a good day today."

" _Hmm… You found the instigators then? I really don't think they'd want me to go there personally and deal with them for sending that stupid marriage proposal letter."_

A wry smile. "No, they're properly terrified of you."

" _As they should."_ Chouko scoffed over the other line. " _Well?"_

"You know, when you declared that you were going to cut off communications from Japan completely, I didn't expect you to give up your informants as well. It made things harder, but I got through in the end." He paused, a grim frown on his face. "I had help from the Ootori and the Seiwa. It's as you suspected. The ringleaders are from your mother's family. The Hirano clan."

Chouko sneered audibly although she didn't sound terribly surprised. _"Why they fucking think that they're entitled to my daughter is something I'd like to find out. I'd written them off as dead in my books. And how the hell did they manage to convince my father's family to go along with it?"_

"Language, Chouko." A sniff from her. He smiled faintly at her stubbornness. "It seems that there's a leak in the Fujiwara clan who's consorting with your mother's family. I'd hate to say it, but if their plotting continues to grow this might spell disaster. You know that the Hirano lost much of their clout after they denied your mother of her rightful position of heiress."

Chouko laughed, and it was one of complete satisfaction. _"And she married my father right after that. Why be the heiress of the Hirano if you could be the Lady of the Fujiwara clan?"_

"Exactly. The Hirano letting go of your mother meant that they lost whatever possible influence they could ever have with one of the four great clans. You know that. What with your mother denying her relation to them after _they_ denied _her_. And then she gave birth to you, and you became the heiress of the Fujiwara." A pause. "But not everyone is acceptable of you as the next head of one of the four great clans."

" _Of course. Especially since I'm out of Japan_." She said softly, and it was a deadly sound. _"But I placed cousin Maeda in charge because I know he'd rather cut off his dick than lead the clan for ten more years."_

"Yet that doesn't mean that Maeda's own family isn't plotting."

" _Of course I considered it. I'm not completely helpless, Yori nii-san. I may not have active informants, but I still have spies all over Japan."_

"All over the world, you mean. The world cried in joy when you retired as an informant." He waited for her giggles to subside. "But then again, retired doesn't mean inactive, doesn't it, Chouko?"

They both know that she didn't plan to answer the rhetorical question. They were on opposite sides of the law, but they were family. Very distantly related yes, but family. Knowing that Chouko was still flitting about in illegal activities is something that the army and national security would want to know but hell, the same army and national security wanted to use his own son as some sort of weapon so they could all go _fucking hang_.

His clan fought for the people. Not for the few who thought they ruled the world.

"You have to tread carefully Chouko. The Hirano might be weak, but they are desperate."

" _Oh, I think I know a lot about desperation, Yori nii-san."_ Chouko said lightly. _"I'm one of those people who never let history happen again."_

He winced, unknowingly stepping on a minefield.

" _Anyways, it's just confirming what I know right now. My mother's family is plotting as always, and someone in my father's clan is a traitor. Or traitors. I don't care. I'll get the report this afternoon and I'll deal with them all."_

His blood ran cold. "When you say deal—Chouko, as much as I turned a blind eye to your revenge, a massacre is not—"

She laughed, high and cold. _"Don't worry Yori nii-san._ _ **That**_ _incident was a first and only. With what they did to my father… they deserved hell and more. And they're dead too, I made sure of it so they really can't talk, can they? So don't worry, I won't do it again. Well… unless someone else gives me reason to, of course."_

He breathed deeply to compose himself. As vicious as she was (and indeed, he heard things about her deeds that made him shudder), there was a reason why Chouko semi-retired after marrying Kanazuki Reiji and completely dropped out of the underworld after her daughter was born. Chouko had a husband now, and a child. They were her first priority. Chouko would never snap as she did before.

Well, he hoped at least.

"Right. Back to the matter at hand. The Hirano clan and a few of your father's clansmen are planning something. We're on the lookout of course but other than attempting to bind our children in marriages, there's not much they can do as of now. We're looking for political involvement, but everyone would be worried about going after two great clans. They won't make a move yet."

" _Hmm… Especially with the Suoh affair not dying down yet."_

"Yes, especially with _that_ going around like a hot bowl of ramen. The Suoh matriarch's hopping mad still. She hasn't simmered down at all."

" _I know. But with one of the four great clans making this much ruckus, we might manage to get away with something without being noticed."_ Chouko sounded thoughtful. Oh dear. He felt the beginnings of a headache. _"I'll think of something."_

"Please don't." He said over her muted cackle. "And speaking of the Suoh, you do know that Yuzuru's in Paris, don't you?"

" _Of course I know._ " Chouko said shortly. _"Anyway, thanks for your help, Yori nii-san. You confirmed everything I suspected already, but I had to validate it twice. Especially since I gave up heading my organization years ago."_

He sighed, just wanting to knock back a couple bowls of ramen after this conversation. "Of course, of course."

" _So I owe you one for this, nii-san."_ Chouko said crisply over the line. _"What would it be?"_

He rose a brow. He didn't think that she owed him but since she offered… "Well for starters, you could come to Japan and visit."

" _Damn it. I knew you'd ask for that. I won't—"_

"Wait. Stop." He said. "I know it might incite… memories. But it's been years, Chouko. And your own mother, grieving as she is, is moving on bit by bit. She'd want to see her own granddaughter before she dies, you know. And you're stronger than this, I know you are. Ever since you picked up that _wakizashi_ at six and tried to ran me through with it."

She laughed. _"And you were about to get married too. Ah, I wanted to bloody you up back then. You didn't want to play with me at all, nii-san."_

"I was eighteen. No eighteen-year old wants to play with a kid. Especially a kid with a fascination for knives." He grumbled. "And besides, you couldn't lay a hand on me back then. I'm still one of the best fighters in the world." He cricked his neck and popped his bones in satisfaction. "Although that may not be true anymore. My son's just about ready to run me through the ground. Not in a few more years though. Little tyke has to gain more height."

" _Inherited Matsuri's genes, huh?"_ She said in amusement.

"Both of them." He confirmed. "Although it runs in the family even before."

" _Oh, well. That won't stop them, that's for sure."_ Chouko said over the line. She sighed. _"Alright. I'll see what I can do. I need to arrange a few things in Japan anyway, and there's some pest I need to get rid off personally."_

"So you'll come to Japan?"

" _I'll have to arrange it with Reiji. Not in a few months yet. Maybe in a year or two. I need to prepare my daughter and… I need to prepare myself, I suppose."_

"Of course, Chouko. Oh, and do tell your daughter congratulations on her debut yesterday. It was a complete success I take it? It should be, it even reached our ears."

" _It was indeed. Reiji didn't know if he should be pissed or happy that he received just as many marriage contracts as he did with business ones. He settled for burning it."_

He snorted. "Your husband sounds like a riot."

" _Oh, he is. By the way, nii-san…"_ With this, Chouko sounded hesitant. _"Have you ever heard of a triangular symbol with a circle and a vertical line inside?"_

He mentally catalogued all the symbols he'd seen in his life. "I'm not familiar with it. Why?"

" _No reason. Anyway, I need to dress up my baby. She has guests this morning._ " She said. " _Goodbye, nii-san._ _Stay safe."_

Click.

Yori stared at his phone for a few moments, contemplating. "A triangular symbol, huh…"

"My lord?" Another servant slid the soji doors open, bowing. "The young master awaits for you in the third training room."

Yori shrugged and buried all concerns about Chouko for another day.

His son was waiting for him.

* * *

 _ **Vallee de Houx**_  
 _ **Paris, France**_

.

"Matteo! You're awake!"

The cry came from a gleeful little girl climbing down the entrance stairs of the Kanazuki Chateau. From the windows, the maids giggled at their adorable mistress who looked like she had been subjected to her mother's indulgent mercies again and had only gotten away, judging by the undone ribbon at the back of her dress. She was wearing a summer-ish outfit courtesy of Lady Chouko, all bright yellows and pastel blues, her black hair tied in long twin pigtails swishing in the mid-August air.

She was darting towards a little boy waiting for her below the stairs, a handsome little boy with dark brown hair and golden skin. There was a sleepy scowl on his face but it did nothing to hide the dark blush on his cheeks. The maids cooed at the look on him. It was young love at first sight!

"What are you ladies giggling at?" A deep voice said from their back.

The maids squeaked and dropped the curtain, turning to the source of the voice. Standing impeccably by their side and peering at the windows like he was part of their little entourage was Lord Reiji's personal butler, looking pleasant and composed as always. They giggled nervously.

"Sir Clovis! We were just looking at the young mistress." One of them said, flushing.

"She looks like she made a friend at the ball yesterday. Good for her." The younger maid said, still peering outside.

"Oh?" Clovis looked into the sun-drenched windows, watching the yellow figure tackle the apparent friend in a hug. "I see."

"It's cute, isn't it?"

"Cute indeed," Clovis hummed, nodding. He paused, looking at them intently. "In other matters, have any of you ladies seen anything… unusual yesterday evening?"

The maids looked among themselves.

"Unusual? At the party?"

"No, I haven't. Have you Laura?"

"Unless you count seeing the governor of Lys sway right into the peony bushes in a drunken stupor after the party, no."

They dissolved into another round of giggles.

A grumpy sound to their left broke their girlish laughter and they were treated to the sight of the head gardener marching past them with a determined look in his eye.

"Wilfrid? What's wrong?"

The head gardener rounded on them, moustache quivering. "The holly around the manor have wilted. Wilted! All of them, from the giant patch near the stables to the irritating bit stuck on the kitchen roof."

"Wilted?"

"Really?"

"All at the same time? That… sounds like a bad omen."

"Bad omen?" Wilfrid snorted, looking at the maid who whispered the last bit. "You girls have been tittering about bad omens since the earliest crow showed itself during the little mistress's first birthday. And what bad omen befell the family, exactly? Why, me wife's jumping with glee every month with the paycheck I earn here. Lord Reiji's company grows bigger by the year and he gives just as generously. Talking like that just brings ill will."

The maid dropped her head in shame. "Sorry."

Her co-worker shoved her lightly to cheer her up. "Anyway, about the holly. I thought you'd be happy about it, sir Wilfrid. You'd been ranting about it since forever."

"Happy!? With the dead leaves and dried-up berries mucking up my perfect gardens? You're kidding me, girl! It's a nightmare! My precious gardens are marred! Despoiled! And to make it worse, fresh wild hollies have been sprouting underneath the dead ones already! Oh, the horror!"

"What could have happened?" One of them wondered.

"Poison? Some odd bug?"

Wilfred frowned. "There's no lingering smell of poison and no bug infestation could work this fast. All of them dead in one night with the other plants unbothered? The only thing that keeps me together is that my prized begonias are safe. Otherwise I would've blow my top at the other planters… Now if you'll excuse me, I've got an estate-worth of dead holly to clean up."

The maids watched the chief gardener stomp away, still muttering about stubborn hollies and potted plants.

"Oh dear, I'm glad I'm tasked to work inside the mansion today. All that clean-up in this heat…"

"Same here. Right, sir Clovis?"

The maids blinked at the empty space.

"Oh? Where did he go?"

* * *

"You're awake, you're awake~"

"Of course I'm awake. I'm upright, aren't I?"

Reiko laughed and hugged Matteo tighter, having never felt this childish before in her new life. She ignored his huff of annoyance and his attempt to remove her from his person.

"You're not going to budge, are you?"

"Nope."

The older boy sighed and before she knew it, he hauled her upwards, making her yelp and clamp her legs on his stomach so they wouldn't stumble. He carried her like he wasn't bothered with her weight and she was just a basket of cotton. Reiko blinked at him.

"You don't find me heavy?"

"Benedettia's heavier than you and she tackles harder." Matteo grumbled, not even winded as he trekked to the garden carrying her.

"Benedettia?"

"My sister."

"Ohhh…"

"So where to?"

"The solarium! My parents are there."

"M'kay." The Castille heir said, making his way through the cobblestoned garden.

"You better not go to sleep." Reiko said, wiggling a finger at his face. She had experience with lazy boys after all. Ron could sleep anywhere and could snore like a truck.

"Let go and you won't fall if I do."

"No way! You just want me to get off." Reiko retorted. "And besides, you're not going to let me down, are you?"

A pause and olive eyes met verdant green. Matteo smiled faintly. "I suppose not."

* * *

Reiji twitched, his wife cooing at the two children making their way into the solarium. He fought the urge to strangle the kid because look at that! Look! Tomasino's son was all over Reiko! That was _his_ baby duchess the stupid kid was carrying! The tetchy boy was placing grimy hands all over _his_ little daughter and damn it, carrying her around was Reiji's job! Reiko should want her daddy to carry her but _noooo,_ she had to let some _boy_ do it instead!

"This is your fault!" He rounded and pointed angrily at a serene Clovis, who was serving them tea. Chouko looked on amusedly, sitting with legs crossed on a vine-wrought chair.

"Pardon?" Clovis blinked at his employer.

"You and your talks about harems! Now Reiko's getting… getting _boys_ all over her!" Reiji said in a furious ramble, downing a scalding cup of tea in one gulp. He ignored the snort from his wife. "I swear to god, if my daughter gets surrounded by more boys, I'm going to—"

What Reiji was going to do about the boys surrounding Reiko was anyone's guess because Matteo chose that moment to enter the sun room with aforementioned daughter, taking careful steps upward in order not to topple them. Once they were safely inside, Reiji marched in front of the two children and snatched his baby from the daughter-stealing fiend. Chouko laughed when Matteo directed stony eyes at her husband in challenge, darting olive-colored pupils between him and a blinking Reiko.

"Where's Uncle Tomasino?" she piped up, clueless to the tension between her father and friend.

"He went to one of their family vineyards, baby. Matteo will be here all day, isn't that nice?" Chouko answered, wiggling her fingers at her daughter in invitation. Reiko brightened, squirming out of her father's grip and trotting to her mother for a cuddle. Chouko grinned secretly, squeezing her child. "That's right, little duchess. Men are dumb anyway. Leave them to their posturing."

"Urnf?" Reiko looked at her in question.

"Nothing, baby."

"We're here!" Everyone turned to see Adeline twirl around the entrance, cornflower blue eyes beaming. "And I've brought—"

"Emilien! And Aunt Adie!" Reiko chirped happily, abandoning her mother in favor of walking to her other friend, who visibly brightened yet tried hard not to show it. Matteo wrenched his attention away from his stare-off with Reiji to join them, now completely disinterested at the Kanazuki patriarch. Reiji looked extremely annoyed at the boy's dismissal.

Chouko smiled ruefully, watching all three children babble and talk. Well, Reiko seemed to be doing most of the babbling while Emilien and Matteo pitched in once in a while, their complete attention on the enthusiastic little girl and her gesturing hands. They were bonding, and not only in the metaphorical sense. She may not sense it— Chouko was crap at flame sensing— but she knew that her daughter and the two boys were going through Harmonization, an incredibly rare and beautiful thing that most flame users never experienced in their lifetime. Judging by the awe in Adeline's eyes, she could sense, or maybe even _see_ , the intertwining energies between their children, of crackling green and rainy blue blending seamlessly with glowing orange.

Chouko wonders if she should tell her husband. He was worse at flame sensing than her—

"Good god, they're multiplying! There's two of them now! Little duchess come to daddy—Chouko stop laughing and _do_ something!"

Never mind.

* * *

Reiko was a kid with a mission. Well, two missions. And both of them had something to do with her father, whom she was marching forward to see. Emilien and Matteo had left earlier after promising to return soon, and she was reminded of her original task for today, one that had something to do with her father's family tree.

"Reiko?" Reiji blinked when his daughter shuffled inside his office. She looked determined, green eyes piercing. "What is it?"

"Are you busy, papa?" She asked tentatively, peering over his polished desk.

He smiled at her, grey eyes amused. "Afraid so, little duchess. Business proposals, stocks and bonds, tax reforms, final reports…"

He gestured to the large pile of paperwork to his right, chuckling when his daughter winced and shivered at the towering pile. He didn't mention that a quarter of the proposals were actually for her.

Ugh. Marriage contracts. He already burned most of them but they kept _spawning_.

"Did you want something?" He asked. She nodded and Reiji hummed, arranging the documents in front of him in a more manageable pile. "I'll finish up this batch then. I need a break anyway. In the meantime, do you think you could help daddy pick out some companies we'd invest in?"

His daughter blinked and nodded eagerly, scampering into his lap. Reiji smiled at how easy it was for his baby to give her affection. She was always glomping people, and Reiji knew he had to brace himself especially since she found those two terrible boys to smother with hugs. Although like her mother, Reiko seemed oddly wary about receiving hugs and praises. She didn't have problem giving it but receiving it from others was another story. He wondered where her hesitance to receive affection came from. He and Chouko had showered her with enough love to choke a cupid so maybe they were suffocating her? He shook those thoughts away and focused on his child, who was intently staring at the list of companies provided by Reiji's secretary.

Reiji worked in relative silence for a few minutes, making small noises of approval or rejection while flipping the documents. His gray eyes caught his daughter's wrist, where that odd triangle marking his wife had fretted over this morning was still visible. He grimaced. They were definitely visiting Tiziano today…

Unaware of her father's musings, Reiko's eyes widened at a particular offer on the desk. She snagged her father's arm before he could dump it in the refusals, blurting out, "That one."

Reiji hesitated, slowly lowering the document. "Are you sure, little duchess? That company is currently under the rocks. And will remain so in the future, if assessed."

She shook her head stubbornly, staring her father at the eye. "That one. As many stocks available."

He hummed, considering. Many would think him mad for going along the whims of a child, but he knew his daughter was different. Her decisions were always right on mark, even if it didn't make sense. And besides, he was getting that slight itch of his again, the same feeling he had when he was about to make a good deal. He sometimes ignored it out of self-preservation, but this one also gained the approval of his little girl so why not?

"Alright, little duchess. As many as possible then."

Reiko smirked and settled down his lap, triumphant. She'll tell her father to pull out after a decade or two, but by then the profit made would be far greater than the risks. For now though…

There was no way her family wasn't going to benefit from Apple stocks at five dollars a share.

* * *

"Alright. I'm done. What is it, Reiko?" Reiji said, clicking his pen close and drawing his folder close. His daughter had wandered away in boredom after a few more minutes and was now patting a sprawled Beau over the fireplace.

"May I ask for my book?" she said, green eyes hopeful.

Reiji rose a brow. "Ah. The book you asked me to translate yesterday, yes? Unfortunately, I asked Lana to return it to the library basement this morning. It crumbled all over my hands when I tried to inspect it and I couldn't risk destroying it. Books that old needs good ventilation, Reiko. It's actually surprising that it hadn't disintegrate in your fingers. But maybe it's because your hands are smaller."

Reiko bit her tongue. It was probably because of her magic that it didn't deteriorate in her hands, and not because she had tiny fingers. Wizards had a special kind of dormant magic running through their bodies that acted like some sort of protection, a shield. It was the reason why electrical gadgets short-wired around them. It was also the reason why curse-breakers like Bill were better at excavating relics from Egyptian tombs, their protective magic prevented the triggering of some kinds of curses that muggles had no defense to. It also prevented scrolls and papyrus from crumbling to dust at first touch, since their dormant magic also had some sort of preservation effect.

Thankfully, Reiko didn't have to worry about her magic breaking down gadgets in her vicinity. A few years after Voldemort's defeat, the Department of Mysteries discovered how to circumvent magic around electricity, which was why Reiko was confident that technology would work around her. She just needed to meditate and do some breathing exercises in order to curb her magic from lashing out at electricity voltages. That was the cause of the short-wiring after all, her dormant magic trying to attack what it thought to be was another source of foreign energy.

"Oh. Okay," Reiko told her father after she processed the fact that the book was now off-limits to her.

He looked surprised. "You don't seem too upset, little duchess."

Reiko shrugged. She didn't quite need the book anymore after gathering enough information from Death about this new world. She was still mildly interested in it due to the runes, but she could get to it once she grew older and her parents allowed her inside the library basement. Besides, she had a more pressing matter to attend to. "Papa, may I ask if we have a family tree?"

Reiji was caught off guard at the sudden question. Then again, his daughter seemed to make it a habit to surprise them. "No, we don't Reiko. We do have a _koseki_ , a family register on both sides of the family. Why?"

"I'm curious," she said casually. Reiko couldn't tell him that she wanted to track her poor Chosen One relative after all. "You and mama say that we have family in Japan, but you've never told me about them."

There was a conflicted look in her father's eyes, she noted with interest. Another moment of hesitation passed and he sighed, running a hand through his bronze hair. "Okay, little duchess. I'll tell you about them. But don't ask mama about this, alright?"

"Why?" she blinked.

Reiji frowned, his eyes serious. "When you're older, you'll know why. Let's just say mama has… very bad memories of some people in Japan."

"Oh. Of her relatives, papa?" Reiko said, faintly remembering the Dursleys. As Harry, she hadn't wanted to talk about them either, despite Hermione and Ron's insistence. She understood if her mother didn't want to talk about her relatives if she had bad blood with them.

"Among others." Again, there was a grave look in her father's face. "Anyway. Let me tell you about our family."

Reiko sat on her usual spot on her father's lap, looking at her father with focus. He smiled at her.

"There's not much to say about my side of the family, little duchess. Our clan, the Kanazuki, began as a group of wandering merchants and traders during the Heian period. We gained influence in Kyoto after establishing good business prospects and some of our members inter-married with several aristocratic families after we gained power. We were appointed with our noble clan status during the Kamakura era after the eldest daughter of Emperor Go-Daigo married the heir of our clan. Several Kanazuki in history had served the imperial house as advisors and secretaries of states, but the main house remained firmly entrenched in business, mostly. Up to the present, we are one of the most respected and wealthiest clan in Japan and our companies are regarded as the finest in the world."

Reiji looked at his daughter, whose wide green eyes seemed to process every word he was saying. "Right now, your grandfather is the head of the clan. He's not doing much 'heading' if you know what I mean."

Reiko snickered at her father's dry tone. Reitaro Kanazuki was a military man who lived in the glory days of World War II. From the whirlwind glimpses she had of him, he wasn't the type of man who could sit inside an office for hours. He'd rather blow it up.

"So papa heads the clan?" she asked.

"Unofficially and unfortunately, yes." Reiji smiled, a glint of amber in his eyes.

"Do I have cousins from papa's side?" Reiko inquired, anticipating the answer.

"Cousins?" Reiji looked thoughtful. "None of your age, Reiko. In fact, I'm the eldest of my generation which means that most of my cousins—and _your_ uncles and aunts— are just finishing school. And besides, most of them are not closely related. In fact, we have a habit of having only one child. I'm the fourth only child of the main branch."

Reiko looked at her father in alarm even as he chuckled. Having only one child to continue a noble family was very _very_ dangerous. She knew that. Siblings could be pillars of support from outside threats. And god forbid if something happened to your heir. It could spell the end of the family. To have just one child was just asking for trouble. Draco had told them many times that he wasn't meant to be an only child, and it was only his mother's difficulty in laboring him that prevented him from having a sibling. While Narcissa wanted a second son or daughter to dote on, Lucius had wanted another child for the practical reason of having an heir and a spare.

For her father to be the fourth only child of the main branch without any seeming complications in matters of inheritance… Those were some damn lucky genes.

Reiko frowned in contemplation. "But… I don't have cousins my age, then?"

"None that I know of, little duchess. And we're a tight-knit family regardless of closeness of relation. I know every family of ours who bear the Kanazuki surname, and the youngest is cousin Akemi who just turned fifteen this summer."

Fifteen… She was battling Voldemort and getting Crucio'ed at that age. Reiko frowned. With the way Death had worded it, it seemed like the new Chosen One was closer to her in age more than anything. But maybe that was just her paranoia talking.

"If you're close to your family, then why are we not with them, papa?" she asked, tugging his tie. It had been a mystery to her, on why her parents are in France despite being both pure Japanese.

Reiji looked wistful as he smoothed her blue-black hair, fixing her crooked yellow ribbon. "Ah… That has something to do with your mother now."

"Mama's family?"

"Indeed. Do you know your mother's surname before she married me?"

Reiko shook her head no.

"It's Fujiwara. Your mama's name before was Chouko Fujiwara. Let me tell you the history of your mother's clan, since it's far more interesting than mine." There was a glint of scholar eagerness in her father's eyes, one that reminded her of Hermione in lecture mode. Reiko smiled. She knew her father was a history nut and was keenly interested in ancient stories.

"The Fujiwara clan was the most influential clan in Japan during the Heian period. They actually superseded the royal family's power, and during the height of the Fujiwara's prominence, they took control of Japan in lieu of puppet emperors, monarchs who were easily swayed. The most notable Fujiwara was _Fujiwara no Michiga_ , who was grandfather to three emperors, the father of six empresses or imperial consorts, and the grandfather of seven additional imperial consorts. It's no exaggeration to say that it was Michinaga who ruled Japan during this period, not the titular Emperors. During this time, the Fujiwara were given the title as one of the Four Great Clans of Japan." Reiji said, smiling at his goggling daughter.

Reiko closed her gaping mouth and blinked. "Four Great Clans?"

"Yes, little duchess. The Four Great Clans, whose families held the most influence after the royal family of Japan." Reiji said, tapping her nose. "The Fujiwara clan was the most powerful and took control of the royal court due to their closeness to the imperial line. They were also the scholars, the historians, the advisers."

"And the other three clans?" Reiko asked, incredibly interested.

"Well, the other three were the Tachibana, the Taira, and the Minamoto. The Tachibana were the Fujiwara's rivals over the imperial court. They were the statesmen and governors. The Taira were samurai and held great military control. The Minamoto were a branch house of the royal family who, much like the Kanazuki, were heavily involved in business and trade." Reiji hummed. "Overtime, the Taira and the Minamoto changed their surnames and evolved into what in now known to be the Haninozuka clan and the Suoh clan respectively."

Reiko processed that in her head slowly. "Are they still as powerful now?"

Reiji looked at her with glowing approval. "Good question, little duchess. And yes, the four clans are very much in power right now. The Fujiwara lost some of their influence during the age of the samurai, but they were shrewd enough to consolidate their power. Together with the three other clans, they ensured their continued prominence. Today, the Tachibana are focused on Japanese economics. The military and defense rely heavily on the Haninozuka and their branch family, the Morinozuka. The Suoh are into business as much as we are and are greatly influential. And the Fujiwara remain as the second most powerful family in Japan after the royal line. In fact, due to the waning power of monarchy all over the world, the Fujiwara could be considered as the most powerful instead."

Reiko blinked. "What does this have to do with mama?"

Her father chuckled. "Well considering your mother is the only child of the former head of the Fujiwara, I believe she has a lot to do with it."

" _What_?"

"Oh, yes." Reiji said cheerfully, misreading his daughter's wide-eyed look. "Mama's considered a princess in Japan in all but title. Which means that my little duchess is more like _my little princess_." He chuckled, kissing her cheeks. "Isn't that nice?"

' _No, it bloody well isn't!_ ' Reiko screeched internally even as she tried to smile at her father.

"Which means you're going to be head of both Kanazuki and Fujiwara someday, Reiko." Reiji said. His smiled was light, but there was a solemnness in his eyes that told her he was serious. "We'll make sure of it."

"Okay, papa." Reiko nodded, trying to keep the atmosphere casual. She leaned her head on his chest and tried to calm down, even as her mind was whirling with panicked ideas.

Damn it!

Reiko wanted to bang her head in the wall. _This was damn troublesome!_ Her family being too politically powerful meant that she would be a chess piece in the board game of life, regardless of whether she liked it or not. Reiko didn't need that kind of headache, especially if she added supernatural chaos in the mix. She had hoped that when Death's warning of werewolves and vampire knocking on her door became a reality, she wouldn't deal with anything else aside from it. But noooo, she had imperial lineages, clan politics, and inheritance problems to deal with. And with how her mother and father taught her things, they had their own expectations for her as the daughter of two noble clans.

Reiko scrunched her eyes shut, grimacing. She had to compartmentalize everything otherwise her head would explode.

Right.

So on one side of the spectrum, she had to deal with magic, supernatural creatures, and being Death's mistress. And on the other side was dealing with nobility, being heiress to a business empire, and future lady of two clans.

Well, at least there was a bright side to this. None of her problems were technically happening yet. She still had time. But it's going to be unreal, difficult, and challenging. But she'll deal with it, damn it. This was her life now and no way will she give it up without a fight.

"So mama doesn't want to be head of the Fujiwara? Is that why we can't be in Japan?" she queried, looking up.

"No, no. It's… a little bit complicated than that, Reiko. Mama has no problem with being clan head." Reiji sighed. "But… well. There are some things that happened that had to made her leave. And of course, we left with her."

Reiko was waiting for him to say more but he just smiled and kissed her cheek before setting her down and patting her bottom. She knew that she was being dismissed so she obediently left his office, her mind whirling with the new knowledge she had.

Just as she closed the doorknob to the office, Reiko spied Clovis at the end of the hallway, his calm and pristine figure making a turn to his right.

She stilled. Then made up her mind.

Marching forward, it didn't take long for her to reach Clovis, the butler looking startled at her stumbling entrance.

"Young mistress, what-"

"Werewolf." she said.

He froze.

"No? Vampire. Incubus. Veela-"

He twitched and his eyes flickered to her in shock. He had a red haze in his pupils.

"Ah. A Veela, then?" Reiko crowed with suppressed triumph. "Although that doesn't explain the red eyes. I know only vampires have them."

Finally. She had finally confirmed something today. The magical creature Death had implied was Clovis. And he was a Veela, or something close to it anyway.

Clovis was looking wary and his illusion was dissipating like a bad cartoon, much like Death's image had done yesterday. "Young mistress-"

"Are you here to kill me?" she demanded fiercely, not looking away from his eyes.

He looked at her with alarm, as if he was shocked that she thought he was capable of it. The word he bit out at her was hard and unwavering. "No."

"Are you here to harm me then? My parents?" she interrogated in a clipped tone. Clovis wavered slightly and Reiko found some amusement at the way he seemed to back away from her. As if a little girl could do harm to a fully-grown magical being.

"No."

Reiko stared at him for another second before she relaxed her shoulders. She sensed no untruth from him and she nodded. "Fine."

Again, he looked stunned. "What?"

"Well, you're not out to kill me or harm me and my parents. So we're okay." Reiko said. At least she found one magical creature not out for her blood in this world. It's a nice start.

" _'We're okay'_. That's it?" Clovis seemed to slacken in relief as well, although he stared at her with incredulity. "You find out who... _what_ I am and you say ' _we're okay_ '?"

"I can see the air quotes in that," Reiko said drily. "And yes, we're okay. At least you're not out to kill me like fifty percent of my encounters with you guys had been before."

"Fifty percent... _before_?" Clovis sounded faint, then his voice changed into something tenser. "Young mistress, tell me who and I'll-"

"It's no one you'll know." Reiko smiled slightly at his angry expression. At least now she knew that Clovis's fondness for her and her family was genuine. She wondered, just this morning actually, about whether or not he was acting or forcing himself to be nice to them. And she got her answer. "But I need some growing up before I could help you with whatever it is you need help with."

At this, the butler finally dropped his glamour and Reiko was treated to the sight of a male Fleur with red eyes. Blonde hair, ethereal looks, inhumanly sharp, almost bird-like features. "And why do you think I need your help, young mistress?"

Reiko shrugged. "Just a feeling."

After all, Death wasn't subtle enough yesterday with his hinted, _'Oh, magical beings need you and there's one in your house right now'_ speech. It wasn't like he was leading her to her first mission, oh no. Reiko snorted as the theme song for Mission Impossible rang in her head.

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." she muttered, laughing faintly. She waved Clovis's curious look away. "So... my help?"

He looked at her bemusedly. "As a matter of fact, I do need your help. Although you're right as well, young mistress. You need some growing up to do too before you could help."

Reiko smiled. "That's fine. But may I ask you some questions?"

Clovis tilted his head and his glamour fell back in place. "Of course, young mistress. But some other time perhaps. Some questions I have to keep as secrets for now. Words have power after all."

Reiko rolled her eyes. "Of course. Just my luck."

The disguised veela then watched as the little girl flounced away, muttering about fate and death and luck. Clovis chuckled. Young Reiko seemed more of an adorable nuisance than a heralded song of his people.

* * *

 _A few months later..._

"Young mistress? Young master Castille is waiting by the entrance."

"Coming!"

The months that followed after her ball were the liveliest months Reiko had ever been. Not that she wasn't lively before, but the flurry of activity with children her age brightened her days even more. It was just Emilien and Matteo, but still. During mornings, she had training and light sparring sessions with her mother (Chouko still hadn't deemed her ready to stop ballet) and her father still continued to tutor her in simple business whenever he was home, but her parents gave her afternoons to her new friends (although her father required much persuasion).

Reiko also learned a lot about her new friends as she spent more time with them.

Emilien was high-standard. He was what Reiko would define as a classic example of a 'snobby rich kid'. He was picky with food, only wore the best clothes, and his movements were that of a high-born prince. But unlike other rich children whose sense of entitlement came only from their parents' money, Emilien could back his arrogance with panache. He was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, with a flair for finance and business akin to that of his father, who he wanted to surpass. His sense of humor and sarcasm was one Reiko greatly enjoyed. Emilien was hailed as a genius, already completing the European mid-high school curriculum, and during a few of his family's balls wherein Reiko and her parents were invited, she could only blink at the number of adults who pandered and offered him high praises. Several of their children tried to gain his attention as well, and Reiko's eyes could already spy which among the girls were being groomed to be trophy wives someday, the simpering ones with heavy make-up, enraptured by Emilien's stunning ice-blue eyes and striking features. Some of the girls were even years older than Emilien and stared at him like he was a succulent piece of meat.

Distasteful.

But Aunt Adeline was also right in that Emilien was choosy with everything. Including the people he chose to mingle with. He only exchanged clipped words with the populace, and that's only if you're lucky. To the people he deemed idiots, Emilien would stare at them with his signature raised brow and a face that said ' _talking-to-you-is-duller-than-watching-paint-dry_ '. And if the idiot didn't get it, Emilien would move forward what Reiko deemed to be his, ' _you're-really-thick-if-you-don't-see-I-don't-like-you_ ' face. And if that person was extremely dense, Emilien would finally show his ' _you're-a-first-class-neanderthal'_ look. Reiko had seen all three in action once, making it clear to society that that particular businessman was either stupid or desperate, two negative traits everyone wanted to steer clear from.

Emilien had three categories for people. He either likes you, he doesn't find you important enough, or you're the dirt at the bottom of his shoe. Reiko was thankful that she seems to be set firmly on the first category. Uncle Vincent and Aunt Adeline didn't bother correcting Emilien's view of the world probably because despite his attitude, Emilien still had a good measure of people and could tell genuine from fake.

Reiko also learned that part of the reason why the elite continued to butter up to Emilien despite his obvious dislike for them was because they wanted to be connected to the future _Marquis du Valois._ Or be the future _Marchioness_ in the case of the dithering girls. Heck, if things went right (or wrong according to Emilien) they could be the Queen of France.

She did some research and learned that one of the differences between this world and hers was that the nobility of France still remained and were not all beheaded. Uncle Vincent really was a _Marquis_ in title. Reiko remembered something Hermione said in passing, that some magical French wizard with a particular hatred for the system of nobility in France has spearheaded the complete annihilation of aristocracy during the French Revolution instead of going through negotiations as was the original plan. Clearly, with no wizard with a vendetta in this world, the negotiations went through and the nobility remained, less in power yet still very much an important part of French culture. The French Revolution may have happened and most of France aristocracy might have been killed, but the key players were still well and alive.

Another point of interest was the line of succession. There were two royal houses in France right now, the Valois and the Bourbons. The Valois, which was extinct in the male line in Reiko's former world, was alive through Uncle Vincent, the current _Marquis du Valois_. They were technically the older royal house, so why the House of Bourbon was reigning right now was Reiko's guess. The current queen of France was Sophie of the House of Bourbon, named after the youngest daughter of Louis XVII and the infamous Marie Antoinette, who were also the current queen's great-great grandparents.

What complicates things is that Queen Sophie was childless, a widow, and eighty-three years old. And her closest relatives in terms of blood and inter-marriage were the House of Valois, which apparently made Emilien's grandfather her official heir apparent and possible future King of France. Which made Emilien the third in line for the throne after his grandfather and father, and explained why people trailed after him like bees to honey.

"He's completely forgiven for his snappy attitude. I'd be raging mad too if I get surrounded like that everyday." Reiko told Matteo in passing as they watched Emilien encircled by sycophants. Reiko was feeling more sympathetic towards Draco now. No wonder he turned out to be such an arrogant snot. Good thing Emilien was a smudge more reasonable than Malfoy. "Should we save him?"

"No. He's used to it. He can handle it on his own." Matteo yawned into his wild blueberry charlotte.

And Emilien _did_ handle it well. A little too snappish in his approach maybe but like Reiko said, it was understandable. While the blue-eyed boy liked attention, he only liked it from people he could stand. It was obvious to him that any other kind of attention could go to the trash bin where it belonged.

"Uncle Vincent doesn't like being royalty either?" Reiko asked one time when her father's friends ribbed Uncle Vincent by calling him 'princess' one time too many and ended up… arm-wrestling in a fit of rage. Gentlemen were so strange sometimes.

"Not at all," Reiji answered his daughter, a grin on his face as he watched his friends arm-wrestle on his desk. "He's into finance, little duchess. _International_ finance. Being tied to your homeland this deeply doesn't give him much room to advance in the global market. Being royalty is a crutch instead of an advantage for him. Which is why he tends to stay out of the limelight and use Aunt Adie's surname instead. Being married to Aunt Adie gives him freedom."

Matteo's family was also complicated. He had an older brother and a younger sister but all three of them were born from different mothers. Uncle Tomasino had been true to his lothario looks and was a bit of a playboy apparently. All three women surprisingly didn't mind and were cordial to each other and their ex-husband. A strange arrangement but it worked for them. Matteo's own mother was a supermodel who was usually away on fashion shows but dotes on Matteo a lot. Aunt Josefina, one of the aunts Reiko met at the ball.

Reiko learned that despite his lazy countenance, Matteo was surprisingly fit and had great stamina. When his narcolepsy wasn't bothering him, he could outrun Reiko during her training sessions with her mother and could beat her at spars easily.

"Like his father." Reiji told Reiko one evening while they were having dinner. "Uncle Tomasino is somewhat of a brawler. You should see him and his brothers have a go at each other at their _hacienda_. Like raging bulls, they are."

Reiko snickered over a spoonful of herbed _aligot_.

"Those Spaniards might be lazy but their tempers rage like the tempestuous sea." Chouko winked at her daughter.

"What are you implying to our daughter, Chouko?" Reiji zoned in on his wife, stabbing his buttered asparagus with more force than necessary.

"Oh, nothing. Just that she should consider a Spaniard's hot-blooded love," Chouko sang, sipping her white wine delicately.

Reiji predictably rose at Chouko's bait and began arguing with his wife. Reiko just giggled as she cut up her _côte de boeuf_.

Matteo was in great shape, actually. He even helped in training Reiko. While mid-afternoon tea time was Emilien's special time with them, Matteo chose to visit in the mornings three times a week and they would jog and do reflexes training until they got tired or whenever Matteo's narcolepsy acted up. It was nice to have someone jog with her side by side. It gave Reiko better incentive to wake up in the mornings with the thought of trying to beat Matteo's running time, even if that was more or less impossible.

Reiko really wanted to do something about Matteo's condition though. It definitely wasn't safe for him to suddenly go to sleep wherever. She wished she still remembered the recipe for the Pepper-Up or better yet, the Awakening Potion.

Maybe Death could help her…

"Who takes care of you at home?" Reiko inquired, picking up and carrying Matteo's gift of a fruit basket as she greeted him by the entrance. Her father liberated the bottle of wine from the basket already. "Uncle Tomasino's out of the country and I know your mother is too. So who's at home with you?"

"My _abuela_ and my aunts and uncles. Rafaelo, that's my brother, is home sometimes too. We're a big family." Matteo said, frowning and tugging the basket from her arms. "Give me that, Reiko."

It was a rainy September afternoon. Chouko invited both boys to the chateau, especially when she heard from Aunt Adeline that Uncle Vincent became quite short with Emilien after he drove his arithmetic teacher to tears. Again.

"It's nice that you have a big family." Reiko said wistfully, remembering the Weasley brood and their chaotic get-togethers.

Matteo snorted in disdain. "It's noisy. I can't nap."

Reiko laughed, ruffling his curly hair. "You would complain about that, wouldn't you?"

"Finally," Emilien said when they got to the sitting room where he was waiting. " I've been waiting for quite a while."

"You mean for ten minutes?" Reiko teased, taking a handful of cherries from the fruit basket and sitting down.

"I saw your limo right in front of mine," Matteo added, sliding beside her.

Emilien sniffed that his exaggeration was demolished by fact and reached for an apple from the basket, crunching on the red fruit. He paused from chewing when Reiko reached for the teapot and he snagged her wrist, ignoring her squeak of annoyance. "What's this on your wrist?"

She pulled back quickly and hid her hand behind her purple babydoll dress, letting out a nervous laugh. "A birthmark?. Er… a tattoo. Uh, just something that I inked on my skin?"

"You're a shitty liar." Matteo said thoughtfully, peeling a peach. "We're going to work on that."

Emilien nodded. "Indeed. You're going to need it as an heiress. Business is built on half-truths after all. For example, advertising is legalized lying."

"With that kind of jaded outlook, I'm surprised people act like you're an angel." Reiko scowled, flinging a cherry pit at his direction.

He shrugged, setting icy-blue eyes on her. "I don't care about the majority's opinion. And don't think you're getting away from my question."

Reiko winced and rubbed her hand. She had hoped he had been distracted but she forgot that it was Emilien she was talking about. The boy could spot irregularities in a heartbeat.

The mark of the Deathly Hallows had appeared on her left wrist after Death's visit. It was a blatant black mark that made her mother screech in alarm the very next morning during breakfast when Reiko reached for the orange juice. She had worn a long-sleeved dress to hide it but it was impossible to conceal completely because it was too high up on her wrist. It was too obvious even, because the dark black color was a contrast to her pale white skin. Reiko thought of using bandages to cover it up but it would just make her parents think that she was hurt, and that was a worse option with parents as protective as hers.

They had been concerned about the mark. Chouko in particular, had been very much distraught. It made Reiko think that her mother had some nasty dealings with tattoos before. It took her a minute to realize that certain groups used tattoos as a sign of ownership and belongingness (Dark Mark, anyone?) and that Chouko was worried about it for various reasons, especially since she had dealings with the underworld where tattoos and ownership were no doubt prominent.

Maybe someone marked her in her debut ball? Or while she was sleeping? But there were guards posted everywhere and it was impossible. So how did their little duchess acquire such an odd mark?

Reiko could offer no excuse and had just shrugged helplessly.

How were you going to tell your parents that you're sort of the ex-Chosen of another world and currently a child of Death and Magic?

No amount of soap or rubbing could remove the jagged mark, and one visit to a baffled Doctor Tiziano gave them the knowledge than no, it wasn't a tattoo. Her epidermis wasn't imbued in ink residue so it was impossible. There was no irritation or sensitivity around the skin, especially since the family swore up and down that it wasn't there the morning before. A further look on her wrist made Tiziano's brows raise. It was like the mark was practically part of her skin, not branded or anything, but just… there. Like she had been born with it.

A birthmark that suddenly appeared on Reiko was the most sensible conclusion they could come up with, and even then it sounded crazy.

She was glad they never saw the mark flare orange. Because whenever Reiko got too enthusiastic at using her Dying Will Flames, the mark of the Deathly Hallows would also glow an orange color, a pretty burning amber that looked like animated flames.

Reiko knew that she was stalling for time. But her parents had yet to sit her down about Dying Will Flames so she figured that staying quiet about her magic wasn't hurting anybody. She could tell them about her magic the moment they tell her about the flames that they use as substitute for magic.

Regarding her rebirth… she wasn't sure. Being Harry was something personal to her. Private. It wasn't something she liked to discuss and it was probably the only thing she could never tell her parents. She was still Harry, but she was now Reiko more than anything.

And she knew her parents were knowledgeable about their Dying Will Flames. They always stared at her and Emilien and Matteo whenever they visited.

Reiko got a few perks from having the Deathly Hallows branded to her skin. One of them was that she could summon the three items of Death whenever she wanted to and could also banish them at will. The brand on her wrist was like a retainer for them, and it made Reiko think back on Death's irritation at her for keeping one of the Deathly Hallows under her sock drawer as Harry. She snorted at the realization that the entity probably wanted to make sure that Reiko wouldn't do anything like that again and had shoved the three Hallows up her skin. After all, what better place to keep the powerful artifacts than in a symbolic brand where she could summon them any time?

Another perk for having the Deathly Hallows was that it made her more sensitive to Dying Will Flames.

Dying Will… Deathly Hallows. Both of them linked to Death. It shouldn't surprise her that accepting ownership of the Deathly Hallows made her more sensitive to her flames but it did. She wasn't sure about the semantics of Dying Will Flames but it was like a combination of the Patronus Charm and your will to live. Reiko would think fiercely of her parents, of the people she wanted to live for in this world, and her hands would erupt in a shower of wondrous amber flames, exhilarating and bright. It was a bit of an irony that the flames were lively, vigorous, and connected to your will to live but was apparently an instrument of Death as well, because the name itself, the _Dying Will_ , made it appear during your most desperate. At the end of the line, as they say.

Reiko being more sensitive to flames made her _see_. Made her see the orange and green and blue and purple… All the colors of the rainbow in complete harmony. Before, she only got the sense of something at the tip of her tongue and could only glimpse colored flames from people she knew best but now everyone was like a walking canvas. Reiko and her mother and father were solid oranges, a warm bright color that Reiko loved more than any other hue. Her mother sometimes had a purple tinge to her though, which made Reiko conclude that some people had more than one flame.

The flames had their own taste to them too. Reiko could feel belongingness from her parents with a touch of aloofness from her mother, like a slight drifty feeling that made her want to float away. Her uncles and aunts were all different, and so were Emilien and Matteo. Theirs were still young and new, but Reiko could feel their potential. Emilien had a crackling green with a stormy edge, and Reiko though it suited his personality. Matteo had the feeling of drizzling, hazy rain that made her feel soothed and calm.

It had shocked Reiko, the first time crackling green and rainy blue reached out to her in a tentative touch. Her amber flames encompassed them immediately in a warm feeling of home that affected even her, and Reiko could only stare as Emilien and Matteo settled with her peacefully, their eyes bright and smiles relaxed even as her amber entwined with their green and blue.

Something had happened for their flames to react so familiarly with each other, and their parents knew. Aunt Adeline with the bright sunny yellow and Uncle Tomasino with the same hazy rain as his son's had looked at them with surprised yet satisfied faces, eyes roving on the smoldering colored fire that was invisible to most of them.

Yet no one told them anything.

So Reiko kept silent too. About flames, about magic, and yes. About the mark.

"It's… well. Honestly my parents don't know," she told Emilien, who had been waiting for an answer as she mulled. It was true after all. Her parent's didn't have a clue.

"But you do," Matteo drawled smoothly and Reiko wanted to chuck the rest of her cherry pits at the boy. Stupid genius.

"Yes I do. But I can't say." Reiko said with hesitance. Another truth. She didn't want to reveal anything to anyone unless she told her parents first. They deserved that much.

"Hm…" Emilien tiled his head, a few wavy strands of hair falling on his forehead elegantly. "Fine then."

Reiko blinked. Just like that? "I thought you were going to grill me for details."

Matteo snickered. Emilien rose a brow. "Is it life-threatening? Is it harmful? Is it something negative to you?"

"…no." Reiko said. Not yet anyway.

The blue-eyed boy shrugged. "Then I'm not going to pry. It's your business."

Matteo patted her hand gently. "We trust you."

 _And they did_ , Reiko realized as she listened to them move on to another topic. They really did trust her about this. She smiled lightly and flared her orange flames more securely around them, basking at the presence of two incredible people who had quite a lot of faith in her despite being so young.

* * *

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 **Author's Note** : So yep, Reiko's technically an heiress to two clans and Emilien's technically a prince. And she's visiting Japan soon, so she's going to interact with our favorite loli-shota, stoic type, and devilish twins. But I'm going to insert a few OC's and another surprise before we get there.

The four clans of Japan are historically true, although I'm taking liberty in changing the Taira into the Haninozuka and the Minamoto into the Suoh, which is obviously fiction. The Tachibana and Fujiwara are historically accurate as well, although correct me if there are irregularities. Their influence and power in Reiko's world are larger here than in actual life, again due to fictional liberty. I do not own anything again, just in case the disclaimer wasn't enough. *shrugs*

I think you can guess Emilien and Matteo's flame types? I'm not going to have them actively fighting, although Reiko will be running into a lot of trouble and aggression. The KHR theme is just an indication that Reiko was born in that universe as well as OHSCS, to explain magic in a world with no witches and wizards. Questions? Reactions?

 **Read and review.**

Memory out!


	7. Holiday Surprises

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 _"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort._ " - Franklin D. Roosevelt  
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 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, OHSHC, or KHR.

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 **A/N:** Hello, people of this good earth. I come to you to bring an offering of a new chapter. I apologize for the extreme delay, but it is only due to the fact that I was sucked in another anime fandom, namely Yuri! on Ice. * _sighs like an idiot_ * The hype is real and the addiction is dangerous. Yes, I'm a fujoshi and proud of it. But the anime's character development had me hooked so damn fast that I got lost in Viktuuri la-la-land.

Well, enough about that. I'm here to tell you that interaction with the OHSHC characters will officially begin in Chapter 10. There are a few major stuff that needs to be resolved before we get to Japan, and I'm cranking up the works as we get there. Rest assured, I'm not done with this triple fandom and will continue to update. And thanks guys, for the amazing 900+ follows. You people are the best. Seriously.

This is a Christmas chapter that was meant to be a filler/outtake, but it grew without my permission, haha.

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* * *

" _Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la… la la la la~"_ The entire manor sang.

"—we've got enough holly as it is—" the head gardener grumped. The others ignored him.

"' _Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la… la la la la~"_

"—you're out of tune, Chouko."

"I've got perfect pitch, Reiji, now hush!"

" _Don we now our gay apparel, fa la la, la la la, la la la…"_

"The pitch of a tone-deaf bullfrog maybe—"

"What did you say?!"

" _Troll the ancient Yule tide carol~"_

"— _fa la la la la, la la la la_ ," everyone chorused. Reiko reattached a fallen tinsel on their Christmas tree, grinning at the sight of her outraged mother pouring eggnog down her father's sweater.

It was Christmas Eve, one of the greatest holidays in Reiko's opinion.

Christmas Eve meant being together with her parents for the whole day. Of her father making giant snowmen with her, of her mother making toxic cookies while battling the chefs for the right to the oven at the same time. It meant lying on the Giant Dog Squad by the open fire, prying Milou away from the embers and avoiding a drooling Farou. It meant being up until twelve without her mother giving her the eagle-eye, of the staff bringing their family to the manor and enjoying the Christmas meal everyone (except her mother) pitched in to make. Reiko even made her own cookies, and she was gratified when her gingersnaps were the first to be gone from the long table of sweets.

And while Christmas Eve also unfortunately meant that the Kanazuki Annual Christmas Ball was tomorrow evening, Reiko tried to put that out of her mind and trotted to the kitchens, focusing herself on cutting gingerbread men out of her personal mixed dough.

"You really shouldn't be cooking on Christmas Eve, young mistress." One of the cooks said, bringing out a chocolate yule log from the pantry.

"I'm not just cooking, I'm having fun Michel!" Reiko said, playfully flinging flour at him. "And besides, don't think I didn't see you nibbling on my dough. Hands off!"

He grinned and swiped a piece of unbaked cookie dough into his mouth, ignoring the groans of horror coming from the door of the kitchens. Reiko laughed when she spied some of the maids by the entrance glaring at the cooks inside with her.

"No fair!"

"You get to be with miss Reiko and eat her dough!"

"Michel, get away! That batch is for us!"

"I hope you guys aren't just letting a little girl's hopes up about her cooking." Reiko said ruefully, shaking powdered sugar on her edible men. "You're not just saying that to be nice, right?"

The offended stares she got from the staff made her blink. "What?"

"Your baking is _divine_ , miss Reiko. We don't have to pretend." Michel retorted, taking a second casual swipe of her dough and gaining another round of outrage.

"Going to get your recipe after this mark my words, little miss…" One of the cooks muttered good-naturedly as she added cinnamon powder on top of the cookies. "I worked in three patisseries before and believe me when I say you've got raw talent. If you don't go to culinary school, I might cry."

"And besides, you're a mature girl, little miss. I think you know when we're being honest or not."

"Very true." Reiko nodded, squeezing a bag of white icing on top of the gingerbread. She _did_ slightly sense it when someone was lying to her. One of the reasons she hated balls was because the sting of sour lies from businessmen and politicians made her head hurt.

"But seriously little miss, what makes them so good?" Someone asked rhetorically. "It's like you've got Lady Chouko's opposite talent in making food."

"Careful," someone barked out in mirth. "Wouldn't want eggnog down your clothes."

Everyone giggled, Reiko included. But at the back of her mind, she did wonder what made her cooking better in this lifetime. She knew she was good. She had to be, since it was ingrained to be her first chore as Harry and the Dursleys would never get her near the stove if she wasn't on par to their expectations. Expectations that Harry exceeded despite their fake complaints. Half of Petunia's ire at her nephew was because Harry had been a much better cook than she was. And then, she only got better when _the_ Weasley matriarch decided to take her under her wing and damn, that woman could _cook_. Arthur used to jokingly say that one of the reasons he married Molly was because she could drive five-star chefs to tears. Ron had been always impatient to go home during breaks because while Hogwarts food was decadent, it was miles behind his mother's feasts.

Still, Reiko never got this kind of reaction before. She saw some of their gardeners secretly elbow people out of the way just to get her thin mints. Her parents' flames almost _mauled_ each other for the last pieces of gingersnaps. Reiko was pleased that she was incredibly good at cooking and baking, even more so than she had been in the past life, but she wasn't sure what made it even better than before. She followed the same recipes that were branded into her mind so she wasn't sure why it tastes better now.

 _Maybe it was because of the high-quality ingredients_? She thought, drizzling manuka honey on the white icing. She never got to use these kinds of luxurious ingredients before, so she basked at the chance to experiment with food. She peered at the honey dipper she was twirling, then looked at the hand she was using. Her arm was a bit shaky—

A flare of orange brushed from her hands and descended into the dripping honey. Reiko gaped, releasing the honey dipper with a surprised clatter.

"Miss Reiko?"

"N-Nothing!"

She laughed nervously when the people around her peered in concern. She tried to look busy again, ignoring their glances until she felt their attention dissipate.

Reiko stared at her cookies curiously for a few seconds then slowly placed a finger on one of the gingerbread men. The pad of her pinkie met the soft sugar-sprinkled dough.

Nothing. Not even a tinge of orange.

"Reiko?" Her mother poked her head into the kitchens. The cooks scrambled their utensils away. "Oooh, that's a cute-looking gingerbread batch! And you used jellied candies for the buttons, how adorable!"

Delight bloomed in Reiko's chest at her mother's praise. She turned back to her sweets just in time to see a flare of amber blooming at her fingertips as it floated down into her pan, melting into the dough. She gaped, immediately making the connection. After a moment of staring at her pan with wide eyes, she shook her head and placed them in the oven.

Well. Mystery solved.

If her flames decided to pitch in and help a little in her cooking, then Reiko wouldn't mind.

People did say cooking was its own kind of magic, after all.

* * *

Reiko honestly hadn't seen Death after that one fateful night when she summoned the Hallows. She tried to call and reach out but all she got from his side of their mental link was a bevy of boring and dull feelings that reminded Reiko of Draco doing endless amounts of paperwork and was resigned to the repetitive process. So Reiko accepted that Death was probably very busy and didn't have time to talk to his toddler Mistress unless it was something serious.

She'd see him again anyway. Of that Reiko was sure of.

And during Christmas Eve, on their main living room with Reiko surrounded by family and friends, their eyes met. And Reiko could only gape as she went face to face with Death once more.

Because they _did_ meet again.

Just…

Not in the way she would imagine.

"Do you like it?" Emilien asked at her side.

"I love it," Reiko choked out, her lungs wheezing out air if only to prevent the mass hysteria from leaving her voice. She was a second away from howling like a crazed hyena.

Emilien's voice sounded pleased, peering into the box she just opened. "Matteo chose the gift and I picked her out. She's just a baby so she'll be easy to train."

" _Her_?!" she breathed out, looking back into the box with repressed glee.

Black, guileless eyes gazed back at Reiko.

"Best present ever," she gasped out, ribs cracking from the effort of trying not to laugh.

Emilien and Matteo looked pleased.

Mentally, Reiko let out mad cackles as she lifted her gift from its holed box with gentleness. She couldn't help her snort as it sniffed at her disdainfully and Reiko squeezed it to her chest, ignoring the way it scrabbled for freedom.

Emilien and Matteo's gift was a puppy.

A lovely King Charles spaniel that was only two months old, weaned and bred to perfection, a red bow on her furry neck. She had soft white fur with brown patches, with a pair of floppy ears and four stubbly legs.

She was a lovely puppy.

But she was not just any puppy.

" _I'm displeased by this insolence_ ," The voice hissed inside Reiko's head. She cackled and continued to swing back and forth. " _I am serious, Mistress. I am not happy at all_."

For Reiko's new puppy was Death.

* * *

Clumsy puppy legs stumbled around the Christmas hall and Reiko quirked a smile at the disdainful tilt of the furry head. She let her pet go and left the inquisition for later.

"She has character," she commented, watching Death flounce away from a trio of maids cooing at her. "Much like Emilien."

Matteo huffed a laugh at her side. He was wearing a dark crimson sweater, Reiko's gift to him. Emilien was wearing his own sapphire-colored sweater with great primness, as if he was wearing a three-piece suit instead of a mushy holiday jumper. It took some effort for Reiko to knit them properly and she was glad it came out looking decent after weeks of practice. She never knew one could make monster shapes out of cashmere wool until she started knitting. Her first attempts gave her grotesque Godzilla figures out of yarn.

Reiko embedded flames into the sweaters, much like she did to her cookies. The result was something impossibly warm and homey. She had been half-tempted to keep the sweaters to herself because it was like wearing heavenly puffs of cloud. The boys loved it, which was a relief. Emilien and Matteo were quite impossible to shop for because what do you give to people who could easily afford whatever you give them?

So Reiko thought, _homemade_.

She made every gift she handed out for Christmas. She cheated a bit with her magic and flames to make it easier for her. Reiko couldn't do much with her hands yet, so she mostly made sweets. Rum cookies and tea biscuits in a ribbon jar for her father and mother, fruit-flavored fairy tartlets for her aunts, and peppermint dark chocolate for her uncles.

Emilien and Matteo's sweaters were her first attempts at something non-edible, and she was glad it came out looking nice. Even if her father sulked terribly that they received the most personal gifts she made.

The boys were incredibly thoughtful too because instead of giving Reiko expensive jewelry or clothes, they had considered her gift carefully and ended up with giving her a companion.

A companion they didn't know was actually Death, but still.

"Why a puppy, though?" Reiko asked them. Death had apparently grown bored with all the adoration from the maids and flopped down near the gigantic Christmas tree, black eyes trailed on her.

Emilien answered. "We considered other pets. But we couldn't get you a cat. Your father's giant dogs would just chase it away. Same with hamsters or gerbils or rabbits. Not to mention that they're unhygienic and couldn't be trained. I remember the way you kept on cuddling Matteo and calling him a puppy, so I reckon you're a dog person."

"A good thing you didn't consider the cat. My father's allergic." Reiko hummed.

"Right. And Great-Auntie Sophie's dog just gave birth to pups so we thought to ask one for you."

"Great-Auntie Sophie…" Reiko blinked. "Queen Sophie of France? My puppy came from Queen Sophie's dog?"

"Well, yes." Emilien said nonchalantly, as if being handed a royal purebred puppy was an everyday occurrence to him. "She was actually quite happy to give one of Estelle's litter to me. The puppy was sickly before but Great-Aunt Sophie said that when she told the pup that it was going to be a gift for you, it grew healthy. My Great-Aunt thinks that the puppy understood." He shrugged. "Whatever."

Reiko bit her tongue. With her puppy being Death, it was what most likely happened. She shook her head and focused on another thought. "The Queen of France knows me?"

Emilien's cheeks turned a dull red. "I talk about you sometimes. She thinks it's sweet."

"What are you going to name her?" Matteo asked, tipping his head at the little dog.

"Huh. Haven't thought of it yet." Reiko said. She stood up and retrieved her puppy from the tree, grinning when it gave her a baleful look. "We're thinking of names." She told it. "What do you think?"

The puppy huffed and Reiko got an ' _I-don't-care_ ' vibe from Death.

Well then.

"Something sweet, maybe?" Matteo volunteered. "Girls like naming things after sweet and nice things. I know my mother does. Like sweetie dear, sugar pie, muffin love, flour, eggs, butter, bake in 230 degrees…"

Emilien snorted at the lame joke, flicking his hair.

"Not a bad idea. Something sweet, huh?" Reiko considered, looking at the dessert table. "Let's see... Treacle tart, honey cookies, spice muffins, gingersnaps, chocolate éclair…"

Emilien made an abrupt fidgeting motion. Reiko peered at him curiously.

"What? What did I say?"

He glanced at her with a faint shrug. "Nothing, nothing. It's just reminded me of what mother said a long time ago. That if I'd been a girl, that would've been my name."

Reiko rose a brow. This was interesting. "Which one? Honey?"

Emilien rolled his eyes. "Honey? No, that's just ridiculous. I meant Éclair. My mother said she would've named me Éclair had I been a girl. She had been quite sure that I was a girl during my sonograms. She even had the nursery painted pink and had dresses ordered for me."

"But then you came out a boy," Reiko said in amusement. Emilien shrugged.

"So you were almost named after a pastry?" Matteo smirked.

The Castille scion was given a glare. "No, I was almost named after thunder. Éclair means thunder, you know."

"It's also a pastry and like I said, girls have a habit of naming things after sweets." Matteo said, his smirk not diminishing. "Knowing Aunt Adie, she would've done it too."

To avoid them bickering, Reiko glanced down at the now-snoozing pup on her lap and declared, "Alright then, Éclair it is."

The newly-named Éclair didn't even budge.

Emilien looked torn between being pleased and annoyed that the puppy was now named after female-him.

"Say…" Reiko had a thought. "Emilien, what's your surname?"

Blue eyes stared at her with neutrality before morphing into faux dismay. Reiko would've believed the distress on those blue eyes had she not learned beforehand that Emilien was a consummate actor. "Months, Reiko."

"…what?"

"We've been friends for _months_. I come to your house almost every other day. I upset my tutors so my father could kick me out of the house and I could visit you. I even put up with the King of Lazy over there—" he jabbed a thumb at Matteo. "—because I enjoy your company. Yet you don't even know my surname." A dramatic pause and Emilien looked away with the back of his hand placed on his forehead like a swooning maiden. "That's it. I say we part ways. Friendship over, _Kanazuki_."

The other two shared a sardonic look. Ice Prince he may be but Emilien could be such a drama queen.

"I know you're surname's Valois," Reiko reached over to pinch her Malfoy-esque friend. He yelped. "I just want to know Aunt Adie's surname because father told me you use it instead. Other than that, I know everything about you."

"Oh, really? Favorite color."

" _Bleu de France_." Reiko said promptly. Despite his dislike for his royal status, Emilien was very patriotic.

"Birthdate?"

"November seventh. On _Palais la Mer_ by the sea." She should know; he had his birthday there last month.

"Flavor?"

"Of what?" Reiko said succinctly. "I know you don't like sweet things but favor vanilla, of all the boring choices. And you like cheese. A lot."

"Hmm…"

"Oh, come on Emilien. I even know you have a poodle-shaped birthmark on your —"

"It's Tonnerre," Emilien interrupted her, glaring at Matteo's sudden gleeful look. "My surname is Tonnerre."

Reiko blinked. "Tonnerrre. Like… lightning?"

"So if you were a girl, you would've been named Éclair Tonnerre… _Thunder lightning_." Matteo said. "Very weather-y."

Reiko snorted, a muggle song immediately popping in her head. _Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening me…_

"You wouldn't have some fondness for Galileo now, would you?" she asked with mirth.

The confused expression on Emilien's face was worth it. He's still young so Reiko would give it a few years for him to get it.

* * *

"So why a puppy?"

The Christmas Eve party had dissipated and Reiko was finally alone with her new pet. Her parents had agreed to let her keep it in her room on the account that the recently named Éclair was housebroken.

The deity masquerading as a spaniel sat on its haunches conceitedly. _"You did not allow me to touch your parents. Or modify their memories. I could not think of any other way to be in your presence constantly."_

She rose a brow. "Other than possessing a puppy? You could've just… you know, impersonated a butler or something."

Death rolled his beady eyes. _"If I became one of your servants, I would have to explain my constant disappearances. I chose the pup as it is just a newborn, the weakest of the litter. The distraught colorful old female with glittery rocks thought that the pup would die before it could be given to you. So I asked its permission, quite politely mind you, if it would make some space. I would sustain its life in exchange for board and lodging, so to speak. The pup agreed."_

There were so many confusing things about what Death said so Reiko listed it down. "Distraught, colorful old female?"

" _I believe you mortals called her the queen of France."_

"Oh! Queen Sophie. Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" Reiko said, pausing. "And what do you mean by you asked permission for space?"

The puppy stilled and suddenly, Reiko was looking at warm brown eyes instead of pitch black. The puppy bounded up from her sitting position and began to run around in excited circles, barking. Reiko stared at her dog, baffled at the change of attitude. It reminded her of a bi-polar Padfoot. Said dog must have sensed her confusion because Reiko suddenly found herself with a lapful of yapping spaniel wagging its tail joyfully.

"Er…"

The puppy tensed again and brown eyes morphed to black. Much to her surprise, she could now sense the tinge of death, a taste of necromantic magic, enveloping the puppy. The furry being sniffed, jumped out of Reiko's arms, and returned to sit back on its dignified position earlier.

" _That was her saying 'hello' by the way."_

Reiko blinked. "So you're really possessing a puppy. And the brown eyes—"

" _Yes, yes. An indication that she's in control."_ Death said impatiently. " _She's quite accommodating, actually. And very intelligent._ _This form is conspicuous enough for you to take me to the most mundane activities. I have seen shrill, over-painted versions of your gender totting around malformed creatures such as the one I am inhabiting in small pouches_."

Once again, Reiko needed translating for the last phrases. ' _Shrill-over painted versions with malformed versions_ ' probably meant 'spoiled rich girls carrying chihuahuas in their purses'. Okay then.

"But why a puppy? A girl puppy even?"

" _That haughty maggot you call a friend would not take any other option_." Death bowed a furry head down in displeasure. " _He was of the belief that male canines were hormone-riddled imbeciles panting in heat. And I am inclined to agree_."

"Well…" Reiko said. "Well."

She didn't really know what to think about that.

Death sniffed. _"I shall not be with you all the time. As you would know by now, I have many duties to attend to. Still, as official Mistress of Death, you are not to enter my realm without permission. You cannot die so easily anymore. But you are susceptible to harm and as such, if you are in need of me, you may just call me through… what did you call her again? Ah yes. Éclair."_

"Official Mistress of Death." Reiko griped. "So it wasn't official before? And does this mean I'm immortal?"

" _It was made official when you accepted the Hallows. And no, you're not immortal. Long-lived certainly."_ Death drawled in her mind. _"I can easily make you immortal but I don't think you'd like that."_

"No. I won't." Reiko said shortly. The idea of outliving everyone forever was a depressing thought. She was glad she wasn't. "Just… just please make sure my parents are safe. I don't need to be immortal."

" _As I thought. Oh, well. Maybe next time then."_

And before Reiko could open her mouth, the air of death disappeared from her puppy and she was left with innocent brown eyes.

* * *

Christmas morning came bright and early in the Kanazuki household.

"No, you got the wrong draperies! Cream-colored, not ivory!"

"We need two-hundred more salad forks, get to it—"

"Who ordered the bouillabaisse this early?!"

Unfortunately it came with a riot of activity as well.

Reiko twisted around the servants rushing about, Éclair hot on her heels. The puppy seemed to have imprinted on her overnight, following her everywhere with enthusiastic barks and eager brown eyes. The spaniel was healthily cheerful despite being Death's avatar so to speak, and Reiko still got the same feeling of distant boredom from her link with Death, which means that the deity was probably off doing his duties and could be less than bothered about his mistress and her dog now that he had a permanent way to reach her.

"S'cuse!"

"Make way, make way!"

Reiko sidestepped one of the younger waiters, smiling slightly when Éclair yelped at the slight distance between them, howling in distress. She reached over and carried the snuffling canine, laughing softly. Really. Such a puppy. Reiko never had a pet that was as young and dependent as Éclair. Hedwig had been full-grown after all, and as much as Ron complained about Pigwidgeon's ditziness, his owl still had a smidge of obedience. Crookshanks didn't count; he was a cat and a _tomcat_ at that. Very independent.

"So sorry, miss Reiko!" the young waiter called out before disappearing into the throng of people.

Reiko went to hunt for her mother. It wasn't that hard, she just had to look for the huddled circle of frazzled people. She squeezed in between the throng and before she knew what was going on, she found herself swept into her mother's arms, a puppy squished between Reiko's flat chest and her mother's bosom.

"Urnf!" she couldn't help the wheeze from her lungs as her mother held her unbearably tight.

Her hugs would be the death of Reiko, she just knew it.

"I swear, your father's going to hear it." Chouko said to her, smile disturbing as she ordered another servant to fix the napkins on table five. "Mommy's going to make him sleep in the couch for _months_."

Reiko popped out of her mother's embrace and snickered, imagining her father's ashen expression. It took no time at all for Reiko's illusion of her father to shatter. His cool, awe-inspiring persona turns into a façade whenever her mother brings him to heel. Most of the time Reiko felt sorry for him.

This time, he deserved it.

He had been visibly absent the whole morning and even her mother couldn't pinpoint where he had gone. They knew he was safe and had guards with him because the garage was missing a car and a few attendants, but it didn't change the fact that he left the responsibility to plan for the ball that _his_ side of the family was supposed to be in charge with.

Her mother was not pleased.

Calming down her squiggling puppy, Reiko watched her mother bark orders at people twice her size, inspecting every little detail of the magnificent ballroom, from the crystal chandeliers to the canape samples.

Her mother's composure was slipping, but it was to be expected. This was one of the society events of the year.

The Kanazuki Christmas gala was an annual celebration for its stakeholders, top employees, and their friends and acquaintances in elite society. It was a tradition dating back to her father's grandfather during the 1900's and has turned into quite _the_ social event. To get invited meant you had to be _somebody_. The _crème de la crème_. People fly from overseas to attend, which made Reiko shake her head.

Could they do nothing better on Christmas day? Like spend it with their families, maybe? Reiko knew that she'd prefer that over anything else.

But business was a never-ending game, even on holidays.

She even heard her father mutter over invitations in his study a few days ago, about which family he cared less about offending, the Grants or the Heinrichs?

Technically, her grandfather was supposed to be in charge but he had donned a Hawaiian shirt and hopped into his cruise ship to sail into the tropics a month ago. Leaving his son and daughter-in-law to deal with the headache.

Oh, there were Kanazuki cousins from Japan here and there, some Reiko got to meet during breakfast earlier, but they took _orders_ , not control. Her father really wasn't kidding when he said that he was the head of the family.

Reiko wasn't too bitter about it unlike her parents. The old man had offered to take her with him, sneaking inside her suite the middle of the night to whisk her away, only to trip on security and get caught by her mother. Needless to say, Chouko wasn't leaving her alone with her eccentric grandfather any time soon.

Maybe that was why her father wasn't around? Maybe he cracked and did like grandfather by hopping on a cruise ship…

"Where is that man?" Chouko hissed, looking more and more like a murderous gorgon as the minutes ticked by. People began inching further away from mother and daughter.

Huh. Reiko better distract her or else her dad might not live to see New Year's.

She patted her mother's cheek to get her attention. "My dress, mother?"

Chouko immediately brightened. "Oh of course, _ma chou_! How can mommy forget your gown? Francois just delivered your personal Christmas line this early morning. You'll try them on and choose one for mommy, _oui_?"

Reiko grimaced. She had been planning on faking sleep and sneaking out to eat treacle tarts with the cooks, but sacrifices must be made…

The servants gave a collective sigh of relief and shot Reiko looks of gratitude. She nodded at them gravely.

Her dad owed her.

A hundred dresses later (she was exaggerating, but the numerous flashbacks with Narcissa and Draco's trips made it seem like a lifetime) her mother finally blessed her yes to one red velvet gown inlaid with golden threading and white fur trim. It had tiny holly berry decorations made of rubies and green crystal, with a shiny silver bell in the middle. Reiko stared at Éclair distractedly as she was fitted on, watching her puppy get entangled in a bunch of silk ribbons.

"And a poinsettia in your hair, there we go _mademoiselle_!" Francois, her mother's head designer, twisting her hair up in a flourish.

Chouko happily gave her approval, chatting with the other assistants on other dress ideas.

"—yes, I saw Lady Hitachiin's newest line. Very bold, that one—"

"—wasn't it? Oh, and she uses her twins as models! Very adorable! Her clothes would be a dear for Miss Reiko to wear—"

"—the pink and blue line you say? Yes, a little frilly for my tastes but—"

Relieved that her father's lifespan was no longer threatened, Reiko removed the fluffy dress, handing it over neatly to Francois.

The flamboyantly handsome designer looked surprised at first, then he smirked at winked at the little girl.

"Very shrewd, little lady. Distracting your mother so very well." His voice was smooth and low, so different from the dramatic tone earlier.

Reiko shot him a look of pure innocence, blinking. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Francois laughed gaily, catching her dainty fingers and kissing them twice. " _Charmant_! Ah, if you were only my age…"

"You still won't consider it. I don't think you want mother as an in-law." she said, deadpan.

She considered it a win when he burst into hearty guffaws.

* * *

"There you are! Where on earth have you been, darling?"

Reiko stared when her father came into view, looking slick and debonair in his charcoal black suit. The party had already been ongoing for three hours and her mother had tamped down her fury at her father's lateness and kept Reiko close to reign in her temper. The former savior had been relegated to the task of being a human stress ball but she didn't mind.

Her father bent down to kiss both of them, then winced. To an outsider, it would look like her mother was embracing her father tenderly, but Reiko could see her mother's manicured hand curling to form claw-like talons in her father's shoulder, her radiant smile containing the barest amount of teeth.

Uh-oh.

"Chouko…" Reiji laughed nervously, which was not a good move. Her mother could smell fear.

"Never mind that, darling. We do need to greet our guests." she said gaily. "Carry Reiko for me, will you? I had to bring her with me all day since there was no one left to _arrange_ and _supervise_ the ball. Poor Reiko had to follow mommy everywhere, didn't you?"

'Poor Reiko' wasn't even allowed to wander out of mommy's arms the whole time she was supervising, but the savior-turned-girl nodded just to appease the beast.

She wasn't taking this one, nope. It was her father's time to grovel.

Reiko dutifully let herself be passed between husband and wife, settling into her father's arms easily. Despite being five years old already, she was still small, much to her frustration. Emilien and Matteo were already showing signs of growth while she was still a tiny pea that her parents had no problem carrying.

Reiji sighed. Throughout the rest of the ball, he was relegated to the role of pack mule, his darling daughter as his only precious cargo, and his wife the handler, her death-like grip threatening the circulation of blood in his right arm. They greeted their guests, shook hands, made small talk, indulged in people cooing at their child, and appeared as the model society couple for all to see.

Reiko hummed. No one suspected that there was trouble in paradise but she could feel her father fidget and her mother's eye twitch minutely.

"I think it's bedtime for the little one." one matronly old woman chuckled when Reiko yawned two hours later.

Her father's despair was almost visible. Clearly, he had hoped that Reiko would remain as his 'shield' from his still livid wife. But upon seeing that she was rubbing her eyes tiredly, he knew it was a lost cause.

It's all good and well to use adorableness as bait, but not at the expense of his daughter's health.

Excusing themselves, Reiji and Chouko proceeded to prepare their daughter for bedtime, still in their finery. They tucked her in and kissed her goodnight. When she feigned sleep, they closed the door as gently as possible, brass knob clicking inaudibly.

Then…

"— _now where in the seven blazes have you been the whole day! Tell me before I fry your ass—"_

Reiko snorted tiredly.

* * *

She barely dozed when a loud _bang_ startled her awake. She felt Éclair stiffen in her arms, and she knew that the puppy was awake, keeping silent yet alert.

There was someone in her room.

And they were coming near her…

Tense, Reiko gripped the tiny platinum square hidden under her pillow. It was a taser, customized by her mother to deliver shocks of green lightning almost capable of electrifying people to death. She thought of summoning the Elder Wand too, but it was a little overkill and decided not to use it unless her situation grew uglier and she had to truly defend herself. The less people who knew about it for now, the better.

Reiko continued to feign sleep as she heard footsteps tap near her bedchambers. She frowned. Her mind wasn't going into overdrive, not like when she was around while her mother leaked killing intent at her subordinates, but she didn't let her guard down either. Her brain might not think that the person inside her room was a threat, but Reiko didn't recognize the cool, mist-like presence she could feel from them and for that alone, she was ready to defend herself.

The tapping footsteps grew closer—

 _One…_

Éclair blinked at her in the darkness, the puppy's brown eyes turning pitch black.

 _Two…_

Reiko gripped her taser and readied her flames.

 _Three._

Her bed curtains were pulled apart and she let out a war cry, activating her taser just as Éclair let out a truly ferocious growl. The person yelped and went down as sparks of green hit them, falling on the carpet with a thud. Reiko swiftly flicked her nightlight open and the room was bathed in a yellow glow just as she leaned down and saw—

 _A teenager?_

"Who are you?" she said out loud, still holding her taser aloft. She didn't sense any ill intent from the person, but better safe than sorry.

The intruder groaned, clutching his head and blinking pale green eyes at her. For a moment, Reiko stared.

He looked like a washed-out watercolor painting, everything about him was pale. Pale skin, pale blonde hair, pale green eyes. Even his lips were a pale pink. Reiko would think that he was albino or something, if not for the splashes of genuine color here and there.

He was pretty too, androgynously so. Delicate cheekbones and a soft jaw. If it weren't for the slight Adam's apple, flat chest, and obviously male build, Reiko's might've suspected that he was a very pretty girl. He looked sixteen or so, and looked slightly taller than her mother.

"Where am I, kid?" he said in French, and Reiko blinked.

"I asked first." she replied.

A flash of anger lit his eyes before disappearing quickly. He sighed. "Look kid, I just wanna get out of here. Some shi—crazy guy kidnapped my as— _butt_ and dumped me in a room somewhere. I just wanna fu—freakin' leave."

Reiko was slightly amused at how he tried not to swear in her presence. For a delicate-looking man, he sure was brusque. She also wondered who the heck kidnapped him. "But why were you in my room?"

"I was just looking around! I really wanna leave." he defended, flicking pale blonde bangs out of his eyes. "This huge-ass house is a fu—darn maze! You can fit a whole town here!"

Reiko chortled, finding truth in the statement. He sounded really indignant at the fact that the place was really big too, like it was a personal offense to him. She turned her taser off and Éclair dutifully sat down on her haunches, eyes back to brown.

"I'll help you leave then," Reiko decided, unfazed. Again, this wasn't high on her weird list. How random was this, though? Someone just popping in her room without so much as a say-so. Usually, weird things happened to her because she triggered something else. Like unknowingly collecting all three artifacts of Death. Go figure.

He gave her a look of genuine surprise, before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you want it return?"

The question stumped Reiko. Why would he ask that? And to a kid of all people? Hadn't anyone gave him help for free?

"Nothing." she said honestly. When he didn't look like he believed her, she added, "I just want to get out of bed."

Reiko knew from experience that he wouldn't believe that she just wanted to help him. He had that look on him, extremely wary, body tense, as if the tiniest hint of a wrong move would trigger him. She recognized it.

She'd been in the same position as he'd been, too distrustful of the world, believing that a favor given is a favor owed back. It took Harry a long time before realizing it, to realize that to be the Wizarding World's darling one had to barter their life away.

It was easier to believe that a person would do something for someone so as long as they'd get something in return. Hence why she mentioned that she wanted to get out of bed, making him believe that leading him out was something that would benefit her too.

Sure enough, his shoulders eased slightly and he gave her a once-over. He probably deemed her to be a non-threat, and Reiko was once again glad that she was a little girl, easily overlooked. He did flicker his eyes at the taser on her hands but otherwise he calmed down.

"Alright, kid." he finally said. "You know this place well, then?"

"You could say that." Reiko sair wryly, putting on her slippers. She glanced at Éclair, surprised to find the puppy asleep on her comforters. She snorted. "Well that's that."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

The fact that Éclair just went back to sleep instead of accompanying her said that Death didn't see the teenager inside her bedroom as a threat.

Well that, or Éclair was just sleepy. She was just a baby after all, so…

Reiko just got her yesterday so she wasn't really sure how this works.

"Oh, well." she shrugged, stuffing her taser inside her pocket. She looked at the pale-blonde young man and motioned him. "Beside me, please?"

The teenager rose a brow but fell into step beside her. Reiko wasn't stupid enough to lead, not with an unknown behind her back. And since the guy didn't know the place, he had to follow her somewhat. Beside her was the safest bet.

They got out of her room and into the corridors.

"So," she began after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Er… Merry Christmas?"

Her companion halted a bit, the look in his eyes unreadable. There was a beat of silence. "…you're the first person who said that to me."

Reiko was surprised. "Today?"

He smiled at her bitterly. " _Ever_."

Reiko's heart twisted at that. Even back as Harry, someone gave her greetings. Especially now as Reiko, well-wishes to her were plentiful, blessings even more so.

She couldn't imagine that no one gave the person beside her something just as simple as a greeting.

"I'll make sure to greet you every year then." She said determinedly. He looked startled.

"Kid, you don't even know me." He said in a low voice. "For all you know, I could be a bloody murderer."

He meant to scare her, but he was shocked when she just shrugged, eyes earnest. "You don't look like it."

"Oh?" he sounded darkly amused. "And you know what a murderer looks like?"

Reiko's mind flashed to her mother's 'daycare' job and inwardly snorted. She settled for giving him a look of frightened confusion and shook her head no.

"Good." He grimaced, eyes gaining a faraway look. "That's good."

Somber, Reiko wondered what he went through to have such pained eyes. His cool, misty aura (that Reiko now realized were flames), was also subdued.

"I have a question?" Reiko said tentatively. He looked at her curiously. "How were you kidnapped?"

"I don't know, kid." he sighed. Reiko noticed that the longer they walked, the closer he came to her. She didn't sense anything bad though, but wondered at his proximity. "I don't look like someone who'd get kidnapped. I don't look the part. Unlike you, I suppose." He gestured to his clothes, thread-bare and worn. The muddy shoes he was wearing looked like they were about to fall apart any minute. "I really don't know why."

"I… I could find out, if you want to." Reiko said, before adding hastily. "Not because I want to help! I'm just as curious as you. Really."

She winced at her unconvincing tone. Damn it. Emilien was right. She was such a shitty liar sometimes.

To her surprise, he gave her a slow hesitant smile before reaching out to pat her head. She could feel his misty flames push at hers like a shy cat and she couldn't help but smile back at him in encouragement.

He coughed lightly. "That would be nice, kid. Thanks."

Reiko beamed. "No problem at all! So what did your kidnapper look like? Where did he take you?"

His eyes sharpened. "He was tall. Dark brown-red hair. Gray eyes. A tiny mole under his mouth. Too much of a pretty boy, kinda looked like a rich model. Smiled a lot."

Oh.

 _Ohhh…_

Reiko had an awfully good idea on just who had kidnapped him.

"Took me too a room with too much red." He added thoughtfully. "A lot of books."

"Ah…" Reiko said slowly. Now she was sure. Only three people had access to the Red Room and that was her, her mother, and… "I think I know—"

She was cut off just then because numerous burly men in dark clothing appeared out of nowhere and charged at them with blinding speed. Reiko yelped and fumbled for her taser, mind screaming as to why _why_ her instincts failed to warn her of enemies _again_. But then she felt herself being shoved backwards, between a cold wall and a warm back.

Pure, potent violet flames _poured_ out of the pale-eyed teenager, who was now snarling at the men with rage. Reiko gasped when her own vibrant orange flames reached out and began _singing_ in triumph, twining with furious violet perfectly, melding and feeding them like an enchanted battery.

The rush of exhilarating energy made Reiko's cheeks flush and her heart to beat faster. She could feel the pale-eyed teenager's emotions, could feel their rage and their instinctive desire to protect, to defend, to _conceal_. It was wonderful, it was nerve-wracking and it was almost too much…

She was astonished when one by one, the men dropped like flies, their eyes glazed. Reiko noticed that the violet flames now looked like a shrouded haze of fog around the hall, like a spread-out, wide-scale attack.

Oh.

Wow.

She knew that flames had different types and all, but she didn't know that they could be used…

 _Like this._

She took a deep breath and squinted at the downed men, getting a good look at them, and stared.

Weren't those her mother's students? Why the heck did they attack?

"Are you alright?" Her companion kneeled down and stared at her with intense pale green eyes, breathing harshly. His expression looked panicked, wild, and his pupils darted all over Reiko's body, looking for injuries.

She nodded and reached out to give him a hug. He looked like he needed one.

He stiffened, but Reiko could feel the rightness flowing through her veins. Her magical flames sang once more, a soothing hum that calmed both of them. She felt his violet haze settle down softly, and Reiko smiled in relief.

That had been really some potent magic. Flames or not.

But it was obvious that he had been struggling greatly to control it. Thankfully, she seemed to have a calming effect on him and was gripping her quite firmly. Not tight enough to be uncomfortable, but somehow Reiko felt that he needed the physical contact by keeping her close.

A faint clapping was heard and both of them looked up.

"Mother? Father?" Reiko uttered in surprise.

Her mother smiled daintily and sidestepped one of the downed men. "Hello, darling. Don't mind my minions. They definitely need more training if one young man could beat them all."

" _You_!"

Reiko was surprised at the vehemence at the pale-eyed teenager's tone as he bore holes at her father's skull, but if her hunch was correct, then he really did have a right to be angry.

To his credit, her father looked quite sheepish. "Hello."

"You kidnapped me!"

Right on one.

"You could've handled this with more finesse," Chouko clucked at Reiji.

He held his hands up in surrender. "My mind was screaming at me. What was I supposed to do?"

"Not leave your wife and child high and dry?"

"Ah…"

"Father," Reiko called. She felt dizzy exhaustion seep into her bones. The adrenaline of her magic had been too sudden and her body was shutting down. " _You suck_."

The world went black.

* * *

.

 **Author's Note:** And so I end it here. A little below my usual word count, but eh. We have a little time skip next chapter and will formally introduce two characters before we go to Japan. Reiko's pretty fleshed-out in my mind already so we get to see the action so and so.

So I think you have a clear idea just who Emilien is, hm? Kudos to everyone who managed to guess who he was. And now Death has a constant way to contact her. And yes, I noticed that KHR dominates a lot, but that's just because she's still growing up. By the time we reach OHSHC, the KHR themes will lessen. There are some complaints out there but my policy is 'don't like, don't read'. To all those who continue to follow, many thanks. :)

Any questions? Comments? Any Yuri! on Ice fans?

 **Read and Review.**

Memory out!


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